Thoughts for the Day

A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’...

See, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep.

* Picture is 'John the Baptist in the wilderness', by Michelangelo.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I wonder if you remember when you were a child, seeing the posters going up to announce that the circus was in town. The oldest among us may remember the parades of men and women in brightly coloured costumes and the old-fashioned caravans that told us of their arrival. In the small village where I lived the youngsters were always excited by the news that they had arrived, and would hang about the grounds to get a whiff of this strange life.

Isaiah in our reading above speaks of one who will announce that God will come to lead his people to safety. 2,000 years ago it was over 500 years since a prophet had spoken, but with the arrival of John the Baptist Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled, for John comes to announce that the Messiah is coming and the people should prepare for his arrival. He berates the people, arguing that they need to repent and be forgiven for their sin, and only then will they be ready for the coming of the one who will lead them like a shepherd leads his sheep.

Two thousand years later, in Advent, we need to find the excitement once caused by the circus coming to town, as we move towards the coming of the Christ-child at Christmas. Or perhaps even more we need to remind ourselves of that furore stirred up by John the Baptist, who called all the people to repent.

Lord God,
You sent Your servant John the Baptist,
to call the people to repentance,
to prepare for the coming of Your Son,
our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
May we prepare ourselves
at this time of the year,
for all that the arrival
of the infant Jesus to Bethlehem
should mean to us this Christmas.
Help us to stir ourselves spiritually,
and welcome Him again with open hearts.
Amen.