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Second Sunday of Advent: Peace
Advent’s Uncomfortable Peace
Isaiah 11:1-10
Matthew 3:1-12
by Tara Barnes
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
—Matthew 3:1-3 (NSRVUE)
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’”
What comes to mind when you hear the word “peace”? Do you think of harmony? Tranquility? Security? Quiet?
Do you think of a voice calling out from the wilderness about the coming wrath and unquenchable fire? A man purposefully wearing uncomfortable clothes and crying, “Repent!” Calling people a brood of vipers? No? Then Matthew 3:1-13 is an interesting choice for the theme of peace.
Our Scripture for the second Sunday of Advent features John the Baptist. He does not strike me as a calm, non-anxious presence. In fact, he seems to be urgent and insistent and loud. What do these verses teach us about peace?
In a March 1956 sermon, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Peace is not merely the absence of tension but the presence of justice.” I’ve witnessed far too often just who is expected to sacrifice their well-being in the name of “peace.” And it isn’t those with privilege and resources and power. Instead, we ask marginalized people to accept being second-class citizens in the name of everyone getting along.
King called this an obnoxious peace. “If peace means a willingness to be exploited economically, dominated politically, humiliated and segregated, I don’t want peace,” he said.
John the Baptist did not abide by the status quo of his time. He called people to be better. He called the church to be better. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Is that not good advice as we prepare for Christmas?
Perhaps what John expected God’s intervention to look like is not what came to pass, but nonetheless John calls us to prepare for God’s intervention, for Jesus, and Jesus calls us to be God’s intervention ourselves.
Prayer
Partner God, may we heed John’s call to repent, to be ready for Immanuel, God with us. May we also be ready for our long-expected to Jesus to be, well, different than we expect. Help us find the quiet we need this Advent to hear the voices calling us to be better, and give us the courage to live into our baptismal vows as we work for true peace this Christmas (and every day after). Amen.
Tara Barnes is former editor of response magazine and current the director of denominational relations for United Women in Faith.
