Isaiah 7:10-16
We're mucking around with the lectionary again. Personally, two weeks of John the Baptist back-to -ack doesn't help with the depth or breadth of Advent in my opinion. Nothing wrong with the guy himself: the faith needs folk who eat locusts and honey, throw water around and decry the present establishment. It's the stuff of prophecy earthed in the real world and eccentric enough to be noticed but it's a very short season and lots to reflect on so we're going to go along with the suggestions from Ralph Milton from Rumors (Wood Lake Books) and we dive in with virgin births and Emmanuel. So, an easy start to the season.
Of course this isn't about virgin births really. It's about signs. It's the sign itself that is important and not how it came to be. Somehow we've moved ourselves into the awkward space of limiting God to doing things in a 'godlike' way needing immaculate conceptions and stuff as if God can't do births and things the same way every other living creature on planet earth can do it. It's the sign that's important.
'That woman over there, pregnant (or soon will be), by the time she gives birth, the king troubling you to the north will be gone and it will all be over,' says Isaiah to King Ahaz pointing towards one of the handmaids. This is about confidence that God is present when you can't recognise it. It is also about defiance, because Ahaz doesn't want to ask for a sign, but God is going to give him one anyway. 'Even if you don't want the responsibility,' says God, 'you're going to get it. This is not your shindig, but mine. Defy the odds, stand up man, I am with you.'
Defiance. Incarnation defies the mood of the times. Justice defies the global markets. The integrity of creation defies Copenhagan. Good News defies the move to turn the season into a 'Happy Holiday'. Go and give birth! Give birth to hope, to change, to a new thing, to freedom, to light, to truth, to a sustainable lifestyle, to eco-justice, go be a contemporary John the Baptist even. I don't care, just go and defy the mood of apathy: give brith to something. It's the sign of someone doing something about anything that is the important thing.
O, by the way: symbols? songs? words? catch phrases? that may help shape and stir the worship for Sunday...?
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