Like most things in 2020, this will be an Advent unlike any other. But each day, you can still take a few minutes to reflect on the coming of our savior at Christmas with short reflections on Scripture, written by the staff of America Media.
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A reading from the Book of Isaiah
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.
Reflection
Our hearts cry out for God; for love, for freedom, for kinship, communion and healing. Especially in moments of despair and heartache, hopelessness may begin to scratch at us with cool and persuasive claws. Today’s reading is a steady reminder that God is our hope—his love wipes the tears from our faces and promises all people nourishment. And surely, if God wipes those tears away, it is okay to cry, to grieve and to feel deeply!
We are invited into a full life, a life that is by no means simple. Sometimes, we feel broken and lost and afraid—perhaps so broken, lost and afraid that it might seem difficult, or even impossible, to rejoice or be glad. Sometimes, we might feel devoid of hope. But no: The God who is love will be there to comfort us, to lead us up the mountain, to give us life again and again.
Let us give thanks that the God we need is the God we have: a veil-remover, a death-destroyer, a life-giver, a wholehearted-lover. If death has been destroyed, then hope is alive forever. Let us pray for that hope to come fully alive in us this Advent season, that it may lead us to rejoice in God’s abounding love.
Pray
- Do you still have the capacity for hope, even when you feel broken, lost and afraid? What can you do to live out a full life?
- What are signs of hope around you in this Advent season? How can you regain hope that you have lost this Advent?
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