Frightful News, Joyous Message

Reflecting on the Second Sunday of Advent: Two Days After Sunday (Year C)

Scripture

Psalter: Psalm 126

Old Testament: Isaiah 19:18-25

Epistle: 2 Peter 1:2-15

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Prayer

Hear our humble prayer that we may serve you in holiness and faith and give voice to your presence among us until the day of the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

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Reflection

When the old Christendom spoke of the coming again of the Lord Jesus, it always thought first of all of a great day of judgment. And as un-Christmas-like as this idea may appear to us, it comes from early Christianity and must be taken with utter seriousness …  The coming of God is truly not only a joyous message, but is, first, frightful news for anyone who has a conscience. And only when we have felt the frightfulness of the matter can we know the incomparable favor. God comes in the midst of evil, in the midst of death, and judges the evil in us and in the world. And in judging it, he loves us, he purifies us, he sanctifies us, he comes to us with his grace and love. He makes us happy as only children can be happy. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas).

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