The crying out to God in the Isaiah passage (40:1-11) could well be the crying out of so many people in the world today. Not only do they cry with hunger, warfare and oppression, they also cry out in terrible distress after earthquakes and tornados and floods. And still others cry out in fear and anguish as so much of the world teeters on the verge of financial crisis. The 1st of December marked World AIDS Day and we were reminded that this pandemic continues to devastate the peoples of the world. I haven’t got exact figures but this disease has killed over 26 million people while even more live with HIV. In the face of such circumstances it can be a very hard time to hold to faith and hope, especially if your despair is no longer of interest to the media.
As we wait for the coming of Christ in this Advent and listen to those who, like John the Baptist, invite us to hope, we are also free to cry out in response to what we see around us. We can ask for the comfort of God and reflect on our personal role in comforting the many people who need that. Comfort . . . comfort.
The 30th of November marked our remembrance of St Andrew… a Saint who is not known for mighty deeds but for introducing others to Jesus Christ. For those who trust and believe in Him as the Son of God, He is our hope. Perhaps our first action, in bringing comfort to others is to introduce them to Jesus. We all know that it can be hard to take our first step into a new place and experience… perhaps we could invite our neighbors along to church for Christmas… even offer to bring them along! Or simply drop an advertising flyer in a couple of letterboxes nearby! Comfort, comfort all my people!
Blessings
The Rev Shan