John the Baptist is the voice of Advent. We hear him in the gospel today crying out in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord. His message is cosmic and powerful, and it is a message of hope. But the voice of John is not the only voice of Advent. There are others more quiet but just as powerful as they echo throughout this season.
The message of the Baptist is that God is coming into this world to change things, to clean up the mess of this world. God will bring down mountains and fill valleys and gorges to level ground. His language about making winding ways straight and rough ways smooth is his way of saying that God is coming to unravel all that is corrupt and unjust in this world.
If John speaks as a prophet, Paul speaks as a pastor. If John challenges his hearers to change their hearts, Paul encourages his hearers to trust that God will be faithful.
Advent calls us to conversion, a change to our ways of thinking and acting. In our lives and in our world, there are too many valleys of despair that need to be filled. There are too many mountains and hills of pride that need to be made low, winding roads of confusion that need straightening and rough and violent ways that must be made smooth. And that’s what is about to happen. God is coming to set things in right order.
This is a time for us to be filled with new hope and new courage. This hope is proclaimed by the Baptist who reminds us that “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
Paul says to the Philippians, “God who has begun the good work among you will bring it to completion.” In other words, when God begins something, God finishes it. God does not love us and then decide to abandon us. God does not bless us and then decide to change direction.
The central message of Advent is that the Lord has come, he has taken away the curse of our sins, he has baptized us in the Spirit, and he has comforted us.
John crys out in the wilderness. Paul whispers in our hearts. If we can hear the voice of John, we must also believe the words of Paul.
In the midst of so much chaos and turmoil we can gather as a people of faith in this holy season of hope, preparing for a new year of liberation. Let us pray that this Advent will open our eyes to see the wonderful and new things God is promising for us. Let us "make straight His paths." Let us speak with a prophetic and pastoral voice and "prepare the way of the Lord."
Change of heart is an ongoing process and we can use these Advent days to stir up the promise of hope, to bring the seed of Eternal Life to full bloom, not only in our own hearts but in the heart of the world.
