Daily Advent Reflection: December 15
Third Tuesday of Advent
Psalms 45 · 47, 48
Isa. 9:8-17
2 Pet. 1:12-21
Luke 22:54-69
It seems as though the psalms for today are full of praise and glory to God:
Your throne, O God is forever and ever;
Oh, Clap your hands, all you peoples
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
For the Lord Most High is awesome
God has gone up with a shout
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet
Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
In His holy mountain,
Beautiful in elevation,
The joy of the whole earth.
Yet in the gospel for today there is Peter’s denial 3 times. Also, Jesus was being mocked and beaten by the guards. Jesus is then brought before Pilate and Herod and asked if he is the Messiah. Jesus answers, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the Mighty God.”
Is not our life like this? At times we are singing hymns and praising God and given him all the glory. At other times especially, in these times of fear, disease and unrest, we wonder, are you really there God?
I have a feeling this is what Peter may have thought, besides being afraid for his life. I am sure this is what the apostles thought after the death of Jesus. Where is God? What will we do without Jesus? Has all our following him gone down the drain? Then Peter says, “I’m going fishing.”
Reminds me of the part of the song, The Four Winds, by Neil Young:
Four strong winds that blow lonely
Seven seas that run high
All those things that don't change, come what may
The good times are all gone
So I'm bound for moving on
Peter and the apostles and others did move on to do great things and spread the good word. As Peter says, “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
So maybe we will emerge from this dark time that we are experiencing. The day will dawn and the morning star will rise in our hearts. And maybe we will somehow prophet from the doom that seems to hover over us and see good times again with new eyes.
I read the comics in the newspaper every day. Sometimes there is an inspirational message in them or I get a better understanding about life and I can relate. (Besides, I know from experience that God has a sense of humor). One of my favorites is Mutts by Patrick Mc McDonnell. This particular day the first frame of his comic read,” No matter what yesterday was like, birds always start the new day with a song.”
Yes, a new day is coming, the Winter of our lives will turn into a Spring of new life. God will be there; He was always there in all the seasons of our lives, in the bad and sad and scary times and in the joyous happy times.
The Rev. Karen Buker
St. Peter's Episcopal Church, West Allis