As a progressive, I believe there are many names for God and many ways to God – this article reflects one of those ways. Take from here what works for you. Celebrate life with joy and peace!
Listen to this beautiful song of transformation:
“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; it shall rejoice with joy and singing; as weak hands are strengthened; feeble knees made firm; eyes of the blind opened; ears of the deaf unstopped; the lame shall leap like a deer; the tongue of the speechless sing for joy; waters shall break forth in the wilderness; streams in the desert; the thirsty ground shall bring springs of water. A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; it shall be for all God’s people; no traveler shall go astray.”
These are very ancient words found in Isaiah 35. Even though the location of this passage in the book of Isaiah may suggest an even earlier period, scholars agree these words came from a time when the Jewish people were exiled in Babylon in the 6th century BCE.
Being exiled was not a pleasant event. Exile was a strategy that a conqueror used to “defeat another culture.” How it worked, was that a significant percentage of the conquered population, including the religious and wealthy elites, were simply uprooted from their homeland and taken to the land of the conqueror, in this case, Babylon. The idea was that the conquered would eventually be absorbed into the dominant culture and adopt the dominant culture’s values. It was meant to totally defeat another culture, not only militarily, but socially, religiously and economically.
The Jewish prophets were aware of this strategy, and had a twofold challenge for those living in exile. The first part was to pound in the message, “Keep the faith! Hang in there! Don’t lose hope! Hope is on the way!” The prophets admonished the exiled Israelites to be faithful to their traditions so that even in the midst of exile they wouldn’t lose their unique identity … and that still continues today.
The second part of the prophetic challenge to those living in exile, was to live peacefully among themselves; to live in a spirit and state of shalom (peace) while in exile; to take care of one another, to live in unity. During Advent – we celebrate peace – shalom!
In Matthew 3, John the Baptist is referred to as the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah, of being the voice crying out in the wilderness – preparing the way for the coming messiah. Around the time of Jesus, the Jewish teachings and traditions about the coming messiah was one of a great warrior defeating the enemy. Maybe John the Baptist expected, and even hoped, that this coming messiah would usher in a new transformed social order through mere brute force and power – just as the occupying Romans were doing to Israel at the time of Jesus’ birth.
But that’s not who Jesus was turning out to be – not anything close to it – so John sent a few of his disciples to ask Jesus face to face, “Are you the one who is to come or are we to continue to wait for another?”
Jesus replied, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor have good news brought to them …”
A new social order was coming in Jesus, but not with weapons, or force or power, but rather through the power of love and compassion and forgiveness (sounds like Nelson Mandela) – and through the empowerment of disciples who were willing to give of themselves and live Jesus’ life and teachings in the world.
Theologian J. Holub says it this way, “Deeply embedded in the message of Jesus is that, if the social order is ever to change, it begins with a change on the part of individuals who respond to the challenge of the prophets and the invitation of Jesus who invited his followers into his way of life.”
The ancient words found in Isaiah say, “A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; it shall be for all God’s people; no traveler shall go astray.” So, Isaiah pictured a highway, a four-lane freeway, home for the exiled Israelites to travel along with a new social order – and, six centuries later, the early followers of Jesus experienced him as the fullest expression of that highway home, that “Holy Way.” And Jesus expanded on Isaiah’s picture of the exiled, by including the outcast, the marginalized, the different, the special, us, within his all-inclusive love.
With our coming winter rains, in a few months, we will be able to drive about 75 miles east and see a desert landscape, normally dry and desolate, transformed into a magnificent carpet of beautiful blooms. In Isaiah’s picture, the desert itself sings a song of transformation. “… the desert shall rejoice and blossom!”
Mary, the mother of Jesus, sang a similar song of transformation after greeting her cousin Elizabeth: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for God has looked with favor on my lowliness. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is God’s name. God’s mercy is for all generations. God has scattered the proud, brought down the powerful and lifted up the lowly; God has filled the hungry with good things …”
We, too, are invited to sing a song of transformation. What good things are you hungry for? Think about this past year – how has God blessed you; been with you during a trying time; encouraged you at just the right time? How has God given you strength when you needed it most?
Recount your blessings – and know that the God of peace is here to calm your storms, to comfort you – and the God of Hope is here to never let you go. “Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow – blessings all mine with ten thousand besides. Great is Thy faithfulness!” Great is Thy faithfulness! Amen.
Rev. Dan Koeshall is the senior pastor at The Metropolitan Community Church (The Met), 2633 Denver Street, San Diego, California, themetchurch.org. Services every Sunday at 9 and 11 a.m.
