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Advent devotions 2007

December 11 - Leveling the inequality of candles
By Malinda Elizabeth Berry, visiting scholar in religion and women’s studies.

Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10 (NRSV)
Scroll down for complete scripture.

Devotional:
I grew up with Advent wreaths. Each year, my mother would arrange evergreens with brand new purple and pink taper candles just so. Even though I liked the way the candles measured the season as we lit a new one each week at Sunday dinner, I was always struck by the candles' unevenness as they burned in the successive weeks. For a kid like me who focused on equality – the person who divided that last bit of pie or cake had better make sure the pieces were the same size – the inequality and unevenness of the candles' varying heights was something I wanted to fix. I always had this idea that when we finally lit all the candles, I would monitor them and blow out some candles and let others burn until they were all the same stature.

My vision never quite came to fruition, and from that gap between my vision and reality, I draw deep significance. In our blessed finitude, we human beings can only ever guesstimate our way to the freedom and equality God intends for us. In this week’s passage from the Hebrew Bible, we read the prophet's oracle describing the material and spiritual geography of God’s reign. We will be saved in every possible way. But this is passive voice. Who saves us? The answer is found in verse 4: the one who comes "with vengeance, with terrible recompense." So just as the Earth revolves around the Sun – represented by the roundness of the Advent wreath – the day is coming when God will level the unevenness and inequality in the world. While we cannot control God’s means, we can rejoice in the ends.

Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10 (NRSV)
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,

  the desert shall rejoice and blossom;

  like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,

  and rejoice with joy and singing.

   The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,

  the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.

  They shall see the glory of the Lord,

  the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands,
  and make firm the feeble knees.


Say to those who are of a fearful heart,

   'Be strong, do not fear!



 Here is your God.

  He will come with vengeance,

  with terrible recompense.

  He will come and save you.'

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
  and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

then the lame shall leap like a deer,

   and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
  For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,

  and streams in the desert.

The burning sand shall become a pool,

   and the thirsty ground springs of water;

  the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,

  the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

A highway shall be there,

  and it shall be called the Holy Way;

   the unclean shall not travel on it,

  but it shall be for God's people;

  no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray.

No lion shall be there,

  nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;

   they shall not be found there,

   but the redeemed shall walk there.


And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
  and come to Zion with singing;
  everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;

  they shall obtain joy and gladness,

  and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Posted at 20:46 #