Journey Along that Highway

It is that delicious time again. By which I mean, in Oregon, where it is dark by 4:30pm and the inky night sky seems like a protective blanket given by creation to hold in the beautiful rain. The rain fills the rivers and waters the magnificent trees and even our humble gardens and in the rain and the winter night we know that God is with us. And then, slowly as though mimicking the dawn the neighborhood lights up house by house until the lights in the darkness become a symbol for us of the forthcoming light in the darkness (John 1:1-9) and therein is bountiful grace and mercy

Love conquers all, and this is the wonderful season when we prepare to welcome love incarnate, a ritual holy day, yes of course, but also a real tangible reminder that the love we share with each other is not fleeting but is sustaining. The love we share is the highway into the dimension of God (Isaiah 35:1-10), the dimension of love, the dimension of eternal creation, where all things always are made new, where love is power and righteousness and justice (Psalm 146:4-9).

James 5:7 reminds us that patience is the essence of love, it made me laugh to re-read that because of course it is. How else do two men last 44 years in relationship, in marriage, in love? The bumps in the road become more like roller-coaster thrills, life over all is smoothed into one long journey of love. The journey, if love is patient, along that highway into God’s dimension.

It is the third Sunday in Advent, a traditional “rose” Sunday on which more color finds its way into the liturgical enactment of that journey along that highway through that lighted night into the dimension of God’s love. It is time to get our act together to be ready for Christmas. Trees and lights and cards and spiral hams notwithstanding, getting ready for Christmas means getting ready to reinforce that journey along that highway, where our companions are all of humanity and all of creation in harmony, in sync, where “even the least in the kingdom” (Matthew 11:11) are empowered by God’s love and “everlasting joy” (Isaiah 35:10) will be the gift we share.

So, get ready to love, get ready for love, get love ready.

3 Advent Year A 2022 RCL (Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:4-9; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11)

©2022 The Rev. Dr. Richard P. Smiraglia. All rights reserved.