Isaiah 40:1-11

Advent 2 - Year B

Isaiah 40:1-11

Before preparing an honest way forward, attention is paid to resetting the past.

Here a comfort of forgiveness comes prior to announcing a better future. There may be times when a vision of a better way will bring recognition that some form of a truth and reconciliation process needs to be set in place. But here it is a shift from past realities that leads a way into today’s work on behalf of a preferable tomorrow.

When we have lifted valleys and lowered mountains so all are on the same plane to look together at some clearer semblance of reality, we find we can also look at our own lives without shrinking away from the reality of being temporal beings.

Inconsistent? Yes.
Mortal? Yes.

So how might we better deal with these realities? Two quick ideas:

We need a consensus approach to life. Majorities tend to let power (money) dominate. Dictatorships focus on what’s good for those in power. Consensus processes can be manipulated, but when we focus on intentionally hearing everyone’s voice and concerns there is a much improved chance for us to catch our inconsistencies before they are inflicted on others.

Knowing we are not only frail, but temporary, assists us in sorting through our various options to ask about folks generations ahead and their benefit from today’s decisions. When doing long-term deciding there is an improved chance of our best intention carrying on long after our body has faded.

After lowering mountains that we might better see, we need to rebuild the mountains where we can lift up a voice of good tidings. So far we have seen that every generation needs to find their own way to honor that which brought them this afar along and to deal with their own divisions (partly based on our mountain building) and to tear down our Announcement Mountain that they better see how to care for generations yet further ahead. Someday this dynamic may change, but for now it obtains.

For now, be comforted - the future is open. Gently assist one another onward.