A Total Reordering
Isaiah 9:5-6 (ESV) 5 For every boot of
the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be
burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to
us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name
shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace.
Several
uniforms hang in my closet, a set of Desert Camouflage Uniforms I wore on my
first deployment to Iraq, a set of Class A dress uniforms, a set of Dress Blues,
and a set of Mess Dress uniforms, all carefully preserved. They all have
special meaning to me. In fact, during our school celebration of Veteran’s Day
(Armistice Day), I squeezed myself back into the Dress Blues. Twenty-seven
years of service does not easily slip away. I am proud of my service. While not
a great soldier, I went from Private to Lieutenant Colonel and served
honorably. I enjoy the thanks of a grateful nation. But every year, Advent
forces me to rethink my sense of pride, my priorities, my trust. Advent
announces God’s order, the order we should support and trust.
The
prophet speaks of a coming day in which my uniforms, complete with the medals,
will be burned as fuel for the fire. In God’s economy, the things that give me
great pride, that hang carefully preserved in my closet, are so much tinder for
a fire. Advent ushers in the great reordering. A bright light dawns, pushing
back the darkness of evil. We will find those cultural institutions with which
a nation flexes its power, weak and insubstantial. Instead of the politician,
king, or tycoon, a child will assume the role of leader. The old has passed
away and behold something new takes its place. Advent heralds this great change
and it comes in the form of a helpless infant laid in a manger.
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