The Third Sunday in Advent, Year C,
December 17, 2000

By
The Rev. Ann M. Smith

Based on the readings from : Philippians 4:4-7 & Luke 3:7-18

When I was a child my grandmother gave me some of her old books. They were about a little girl named Elsie Dinsmore who was awfully good. I am certain that grandmother gave me the books because she wanted me to be more like Elsie. They had, I am certain, the opposite effect. For Elsie was just too perfect to be believed. She spent her life overcoming terrible tragedies. She always did what was good and right, and as I remember the stories now, it was often at the expense of others. But through it all, she never stopped smiling.

Reading over Paul's letter to the Philippians reminded me, just for a moment, of Elsie Dinsmore. There he is in the midst of chaos, saying to these people, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice."

Now you may think that it is easy for someone like Paul to talk that way. After all, he doesn't have to worry about mortgage payments. The crime rate in Philippi is not climbing at an alarming rate. The world is not heading into ecological and economic disaster.

I want to make it clear that the church at Philippi is a community fraught with problems. Paul himself is in prison facing possible execution. They are facing opposition from other Christian communities who oppose the inclusivity of Paul's message. They want this flourishing Greek community to assume the traditions of the Jewish roots of Christianity, which mean absolutely nothing to them. Not only that. They are threatened by danger from a hostile world. They live in the Roman Empire where it does not pay to be a Christian. And, if that is not enough, they are bickering amongst themselves about who the leaders of the congregation should be.

Is Paul just too optimistic to be believed? Is he inviting the people of Philippi to see a silver lining in the clouds of opposition and hazard that are approaching? Is it a joy shared by those who have some sort of martyr complex? Is he directing their thoughts away from reality towards the next life where they will finally attain true joy?

Paul's appeal to joy is not simply encouragement. He is calling the people back to God. He knows that it is their faith in the Lord that makes the call to rejoicing both practical and realistic. And so he appeals to their faith. He knows that is their greatest resource. They trust in a God who walks with them, who is a part of their lives, who has lived as they have.

They must not become preoccupied with the enormity of their situation. They can, through gentle persuasion, through simple caring gestures to others, through reaching out to the broader community, be an influence on their pagan neighbours. They do not have to bang on doors. They do not have to stand on soapboxes in the park. They do not have to quote scripture passages. They simply have to recognize their faults and become the kind of people they are intended to be.

Do we twentieth century Christians ever look at life from a perspective that is less than helpful? Does we let life overwhelm us? Does it make us feel insignificant, powerless? Does it seem simply hopeless? How easily we can become overburdened with feelings of anxiety and despair! How easily we can end up doing nothing. For what difference can we possibly make anyway?

We have all met people who through tragedy and disappointment still kept faith alive. On this planet will always be sorrows and anxieties. Such is the human condition. It is by opening ourselves to the spirit that we are given hope and our lives are transformed. It is that kind of transformation that is behind the preaching of John the Baptist. His call to repent and change is a challenge to our human nature to live up to God's vision of shalom.

John the Baptist stands before us at the beginning of a new year in the life of the church asking us to take stock, to come together and to forgive. Forgiveness demands that we leave behind what happened in the past year and get on with the task of preparing the way for the peace of Christ to permeate the world. That is the key to transforming, not only our own lives, but also the whole of society.

His message was a stern, no-nonsense one: Repent or be damned! He gave specific examples of how people were to show their change of heart. Share with the poor, stop cheating, stop intimidating people. This may not sound like good news. It may seem judgemental and harsh. Those who are fit for the Lord are those who go beyond lip service and actually produce the fruit of repentance. That is good news!

Human affairs can be affected by a clear and uncompromising vision of something better. That in itself can call us to greater effort. It can inspire us to renew our social vision. It can help us to capture the true joy of Christmas. Spiritual renewal and restoration brings with it a deep sense of joy that comes about in no other way. May this be a time of spiritual renewal in our lives. May we like Paul rejoice always. May we all know and experience the transforming power of God's love.

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