Christmas Musings Day 15

 Advent and Rights

Isaiah 11:4a (ESV) ⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth…

               When I think of Advent civil rights do not usually come to mind. I normally concentrate on the mystery of the incarnation, the dreams, the virgin birth, and the visit of the magi and their role in the message of Advent; yet, even a casual reading of the prophetic scriptures concerning the birth of the Messiah reveals an intense messianic interest in the rights of the poor. Our contemporary political discussions do not include much about the “rights” of the poor. Oh, we wrangle over how to treat them, or more specifically, whether or not to help them; but, we seem to think that most of them arrived at their low estate through poor life-decisions of their own making. Most of my students seem to make a casual assumption that the poor somehow deserve their low status. If asked what the rights of the poor are, they would struggle to find an answer, and truthfully, so would I.

               I think of the poor as needing my help but would find adequately defining their rights difficult. Prophetic scripture speaks of the Messiah as deciding for the poor. In God’s economy, Advent ushers in a new dynamic that radically realigns my understanding of justice. Often, we think of the courts being staked in favor of the rich. Sometimes it seems as if the rich enjoy a system that is weighted in their favor. After all, we regularly witness the powerful use their wealth and status to secure a favorable outcome in the courts. We casually assume that being poor indicates defective decision-making, assuming their poverty is somehow the just result of their flawed character. Advent makes me reconsider how I view the poor and what types of policies I support. Advent makes me think about justice for the poor. It is just one more aspect of the radical realignment Advent portends for my heart.

Christmas Musings Day 14

What About Power

Isaiah 11:6 (ESV) ⁶ The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.

               We adore displays of raw naked power in all aspects of our lives. Every day I drive in Lubbock, someone blasts by me with a “low-restriction” muffler designed to show off the power of a truck, especially diesel-powered ones. Many of my students follow Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) bouts with near-religious fervor. Of course, I watch the NFL which thrives on very large men moving at very high speeds running into each other. Many of our leaders have discarded decorum to “own” their opponents in an attempt to flex their political muscles, regardless of the corrosive effect on civil discourse and problem-solving. Our nation continues to increase our defense spending despite serious questions concerning the level of threat we face. In most municipalities, police cruise around in large SUVs kitted up as if they were getting ready to patrol the streets of Baghdad. We revel in blatant displays of power and force. Advent urges me to consider other options.

               When God chose to deal with the mess we made, He employed a different strategy. He came as a helpless infant. Through Advent, God reminds me that brute force does not solve my problem, in fact, it solves relatively few problems. In Advent, Jesus divested Himself of the incomprehensible power that conceived of and spoke out the universe. He restrained Himself, becoming a child in order to call and lead His people home. The babe in the manger reminds me that gentleness, meekness, and kindness exert more authority than all the brute force I can muster. The Prince of Peace came in weakness, depending upon the tender ministrations of a teenager for succor and protection. 

Christmas Musings Day 13

Misunderstanding

Micha 5:2 (ESV) ² But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,

               We like the trappings of power. During my military career, I often worked around general officers and other senior leaders. Some of them truly enjoyed the perks of their higher rank. In Second Armored Division, we had Commanding General (CG) who was quite enamored with the privileges that came along with two stars. He had a large trailer that we had to pull to the field whenever we went out on a field training exercise. It had its own power, heater, and air-conditioner, which at Fort Hood was quite nice. He had numerous communications requirements for his trailer. As the signal officer assigned to the Division Tactical Command Post (DTAC), I was responsible for ensuring that his equipment always worked properly. One of the first things I always did was spend several hours setting up his suite of commo equipment. Then we got a new CG, General Ivany.

               During his first exercise with us, I was in his trailer setting things up when he arrived. He came in, looked around, and called for his Command Sergeant Major (CSM). When the CSM arrived, MG Iveney asked him, “Sergeant-Major, do all my troops have trailers like this to sleep in while in the field?”

               The CSM snorted and said, “Oh, no sir.”

               “Then take this away. Bring me a GP-Small (small tent), a standard Army cot, a field desk, and a folding chair,” then turning on me, “SIGO (Signal Officer), all I need as a field phone and a secure field phone. Take all the rest away.”

               “Yessir,” I replied and got busy. The word soon went out that our new CG did not require special treatment and would live like we did in the field. He did live like we did, taking his meals off the fender of a deuce and a half in the middle of the night after a training exercise ran late. His troops responded with great respect and high performance. MG Ivany was not the first to do this. He followed in the footsteps of Jesus.

               Eschewing the trappings of kingship, Jesus arrived in Bethlehem of all places, and in a barn. We look at leaders in the world and see men and women that flaunt the benefits of their place. The higher the rank, the greater the privilege. Get way up there and you get your own aircraft. They love to fling their bling. It’s part of how they subdue the rest of us mere mortals; but, our savior laid all that aside to come and rub shoulders with the rest of us. Bethlehem, too small to matter, to even be counted, served as the birthplace of Immanuel. Even His name reminds us that He came to hang out with His friends…God with us. Born in a berg. 

Christmas Musings Day 12

Season of Light

Isaiah 9: 2 (ESV) ² The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

               When I was a young soldier, I participated in an exercise at Fort Riley, Kansas. We were conducting a movement to contact in the middle of the night. The training area was far removed from any city lights and a heavy overcast blocked out the moon and stars. A deep darkness enveloped us. All I could see of the man in front of me were the two bits of luminescent tape sewn onto the elastic band which held the camouflage cover on his helmet. I kept my eyes on those two dim bits of green light as we moved across the prairie. Suddenly, the lights disappeared. Just as I wondered what had happened, the ground disappeared and I found myself falling through blackness, landing on the four or five men who walked off the edge of the precipice before me. Fortunately, the fall was not far, and our muffled cries stopped the formation before the soldier carrying the Hog (M-60 Machine Gun) fell on us. It was not the first time in my military career that night maneuvers did not work as planned, and it would not be the last. We live in such a world.

               Look around and you will see that we live in deep darkness. Countries invade one another. Those in power ignore the plight of the poor and destitute, often lining their pockets at the expense of the poor. One group excuses the hatred of another. In some cities, the homeless throng public spaces, seeking shelter. Even the planet seems to reel under the onslaught of various types of natural disasters. It seems as if sin prevails. Right is called wrong, darkness light, and the sad list goes on. The writer of Ecclesiastes counsels us to not look back, the old days were not better. Ecclesiastes 7:10. As a history major, I must agree. All creation groans as we stumble through the darkness. But Advent has come.

               Advent shines a bright light into the darkness. Advent brings hope to the hopeless. In John’s version of the Advent story, he reminds us that the light shines into the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5 Though things are bad, we live in the joy and hope of Advent. The true light of the world has broken through the veil and light has dawned. This is why light plays such a pivotal role in our celebration of Christmas. We love to festoon our houses with lights of all kinds. Drive down the streets of Lubbock and you cannot miss the festival air all the lights create. The shining lights of Christmas remind us that the true light of the world shines on us, illuminating the way home. Christmas is truly the season of light. 

Christmas Musings Day 11

Unfair Treatment

Isaiah 53:6 ⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

               My understanding of Advent has changed with the passage of time. As a child, I focused on the presents found under the tree or in my stocking. Knowing that the gifts were coming, I eagerly awaited the arrival of the J. C. Penny’s and Sears catalogs. I remember sitting on our blue couch paging through the toy section earmarking toys I wanted, particularly the G.I. Joes. I also enjoyed decorating the tree, watching the Christmas specials and movies, driving around Abilene looking at the lights, and the sublime strains of Christmas carols; but in the end, I coveted the presents. In fact, on Christmas day my best friend Steve Harper and I would get together in the afternoon and compare our gifts. But somewhere along the way, something changed.

               Perhaps it was during the annual Harper, Thompson, and Robinson Christmas parties. Every year we gathered for a meal, Christmas carol singing, a reading of the story of Advent from the gospels, and a small gift exchange. Maybe it was the corporate familial worship, and yes, the HTR parties were family gatherings of the highest order. Those yearly gentle reminders, eagerly awaited, planted a seed that slowly germinated, and ever so gradually I began to understand what was going on during Advent. Most of our parents are gone now, home to be with Jesus, but they gave me a gift that still sweetens my life.

               Amid all the celebration, the music, the lights, the gifts, the food, and family, a stringent truth shines through. My iniquity caused Him to come, caused Him to sacrifice, and caused Him pain. I celebrate because of what He did. I went astray and He came to find me, accepting my guilt and shame, so, I do celebrate, joyously. Of course, there is a sober element to all of this; however, joy fills the season. So, every year during this time my mind goes back, back to the late sixties and seventies. I see the squirming little boy on the couch waiting anxiously to open a gift. I smile, knowing that those precious tender moments singing and reading the Advent story planted a seed that bears fruit today. My sin is gone. He carried it away so I can celebrate. 

Christmas Musings Day 10

 A Truly New Thing

Ezekiel 43:18-19 (ESV) ¹⁸ “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. ¹⁹ Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

               One of the challenges of arriving at the ripe old age of sixty-one is the catalog of failure built up over the passing decades. Sadly, I developed quite the list of personal failures during my life, some egregious and public, others private and just as appalling. By human standards, I have done well; however, compared to the stringent holiness of God I am an abject failure. Those inner hatreds nursed, grudges held, ignoble passions stoked, all the fruit of a prideful failed human heart. This is why I cherish the Advent season so.

               As I make the Advent journey from Eden to Bethlehem, God speaks to me. He counsels and comforts, “Remember not the former things…” Dwelling on my failed past does not sponge away the stain of guilt or provide strength for future battles. Advent focuses me on what God does. He is doing something new, something bold, something unimagined. Here in Lubbock, we often endure long periods of drought, just as we humans endure periodic failure. God says, “I will make a river flow in the desert.” Advent surprises me with new possibilities that I cannot imagine. Advent reminds me that God changes the dynamic of human existence. Failure need not dominate my life. Advent focuses me on the radical possibilities generated by God drawing near and making things new. I am blessed to live on this side of Bethlehem. I enjoy the daily Advent of God in my life. It is present tense, not future. What new things is God bringing forth in your life? 

Christmas Musings Day 9

 A Role for Me

Matthew 1:1 (ESV) ¹ The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

               When I was younger, I often gave in to the temptation to skip the genealogy of Jesus as recorded in Matthew and Luke. The names are difficult to pronounce, and the long list seems rather boring and inconsequential. Why take the time? How do people, mostly ancient Jewish men, relate to me, a twenty-first-century white man some two millennia down the road? I would jump over to what I considered the meat of the story, the Annunciation, the Magnificat, the Angelic visit to the shepherds, the visit of the Magi, and most important the birth. This habit robbed me of a special lesson of hope woven into Advent.

               Reading the long list of names reveals one of the great miracles of God. He regularly uses imperfect, egregiously failed humans to forward His plans and desires. Their abject failure pales when compared to His mighty and powerful purpose. Look carefully into the genealogy of Jesus and you find adulterers, murderers, liars, and cheats. There are even non-Jews in the Messianic lineage. For His own reasons, God revels in restoring and using failed humans to flesh out and complete His strategies. For me, a grievously failed goy, this is good news. His love and plan overpower my sin and failure. There is hope for me. Through Advent, not only do I find forgiveness, but I also find purpose. Advent proclaims that there is a place for me in the broad sweep of God’s plan for restoration and wholeness.