Second Sunday in Advent, Year B
Donna Joy

Mark 1:1-8

Ever since last March, there has been much said and written about this as a time of exile where we have been banished into an unknown world that feels unfamiliar and foreign. A world of masks, and an intensified commitment to hand sanitizing and washing. A world where we are encouraged to stay home; really, truly, stay home. A world where people we love get sick, and in some cases, die, and we are unable to physically be present. A world where grandchildren are born and we are unable to be there, and hold that baby according to our heart’s desire. (David and I were speaking on the phone last night with friends whose grandchild (first grandchild) is due on December 24th in Amsterdam where the hospitals are full to capacity; they wonder when the time will come that they’ll be able to meet and hold this child.) A world where weddings are cancelled, postponed, or radically reduced in terms of people present. A world where small business owners live with the reality of losing everything they have worked so hard to build. A world where loneliness, a sense of isolation, anxiety, depression is on the rise. And, I know, these scenarios only barely scratch the surface.

And then… We gather here today and hear some good news. We hear the author of Mark’s Gospel recalling the words of the Prophet Isaiah: “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” These words were offered to the Israelite people at a time when they were in exile. They were living in a strange and foreign land, and they had reached that point where they couldn’t even imagine a time when their situation may change. This message, and so much in that section of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, is one of comfort and hope for God’s deeply troubled people. God is there; leading God’s people, and preparing to bring them home.

And, sure enough, that messenger has arrived, and speaks to us today. That messenger has come in the person of John the Baptist, who appears in this wilderness in which we live, proclaiming an opportunity to prepare for the One who is to come. He says, “The one who is more powerful that I is coming…” This One – this Jesus – has come, is with us always, and will return.

So, as followers of the Christ, the season of Advent is a time to prepare not only for his second coming, but his continually appearing, particularly during wilderness times such as this COVID-19 time in which we live. This gift of Jesus’ presence is unconditional, we don’t have to actually do anything in order to deserve it, but we are called to do something in order to be ready to receive it. That is, we need to repent. “John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

So, what are the sins of which we need to repent? Part of me wants to say, “Come on! Give us a break! We’re stuck here, in the midst of a pandemic, with restrictions and directives coming at us fast and furious. And on top of all that, we have to identify our sinfulness and search for repentance as a way to prepare?” Can’t 2020 be a year when we’re relieved of this particular task?

But, no, it can’t, and furthermore, it would not be good for us to be relieved of this important work. And here’s why.

Sin is that which separates us from God and Jesus is the one who has come, and is in place to mend that separation. (Nothing can separate God from us.) So every time we love anything or anyone more than we love God, that is the definition of sin. Every time we serve anything or anyone over and above our service to God: that is the definition of sin. Every time we place our own desires over and above what God desires for us, that is the definition of sin. To repent is to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing or sin. Jesus is the One who has come to mend that separation.

So, that said, what might we say about sin within the context of life at this moment in time? A friend of mine was telling me recently that she’s been hearing, increasingly, COVID described as a magnifier. That is, it seems to be magnifying some underlying characteristics that may have often previously been hidden. If we’re feeling worn down by this radically unfamiliar world in which we currently live, our defences can be diminished, and those less than ideal tendencies may be surfacing. If we are strong and faithful followers of rules, we may have less patience with that confused individual who is walking against the arrows at the grocery store. I know this, as one who has been that confused individual walking against the arrows, and the one who (quietly, I hope) felt frustrated with others making that same mistake.

If we are a person who is wired in such a way that we need to be in control, this seemingly out-of-control virus may be causing us to try to exercise control in ways that cause others to feel diminished. Any fly on the walls at our house this past week might have seen some of this surfacing with both me and David as we were choosing where to hang our art work in our new library and study space. We may not be able to control this virus, but we WILL control where that piece of art is to be hung. Works well, as long as you both want it to go in the same place. If not, well that’s quite a different story. (It pains me to report that, as it turns out, David was right. This is a difficult pill for me to swallow… but I’m working on it.)

If we generally fight the tendency to be cranky, these circumstances may be serving as a magnifier. If we see ourselves as the centre of the universe, and want to do what we want to do despite its impact on others, this may be magnified if we choose to defy current regulations despite the certainty that we are putting the wider community at risk. If we have a tendency to gossip… to bear false witness against others… Well, suddenly there’s more time available for this to flourish in a new way. If we harbour deep within ourselves a lack of forgiveness, is it possible that this COVID time has given us the time to dwell on this unfinished business? If, financially, we are in a position to pay more for our purchases in order to support local business, are we faithful to that call?

And, of course, the list goes on. All this, and more, is what separates us from God, and requires us to repent (be truly sorry), so that our hearts are made ready to receive – in a renewed way – the birth of Christ in the midst of this wilderness time.

John the Baptist cries out to us today, within this wilderness time, and urges us to reflect on these hard questions. He is calling us to identify those patterns of behaviour that tear down the Kingdom that Jesus came to build up / repent of our sins and accept the forgiveness that Jesus has so freely given through his death on the cross.

The season of Advent is a time during which we are called to take a long hard look at our lives and repent. And because we are human, this is a lifelong process, which is why we need the season of Advent each year to take stock and prepare. God knows we are unable to do this on our own so has sent Jesus to come and absorb into himself the burden of our sin. That's what the cross is all about. It is sin that put him there (greed, covetousness, hatred, selfishness...) It is through Jesus’ death on the cross that we are forgiven.

I can't stress this enough, because everything else depends on this central truth, which is why Mark's Gospel begins in this way. Prepare for the coming of Christ through repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As we continue to grow in our own understanding of this central truth, as we confront our own sin and with God's grace repent, we will absolutely discover the birth of the Christ child in new and surprising ways. Indeed, John the Baptist cries out to us in the wilderness of our own time, preparing us so that our hearts may become the ongoing birthplace of Jesus. Amen. May it be so…