Advent: Home
Typically, the second week of Advent we light the candle of peace, so I was intrigued to see the second week was about finding a way home. Then one of the first questions on the first page in the chapter struck me as being so relevant: “Do you ever yearn to be completely known and at the same time completely accepted?” (35)
I pondered this question before I read any further, because, even now when I re-read the question, I feel myself stopping and saying, “but how many of us hide even from ourselves because we don’t want to accept ourselves or we think God will hate us if we really become who we are to be?”
When I read further, I like the fact that Redding points out that basically because of society and all the different filters in the world, we give more weight to what we see as our deficiencies instead of our good traits, making us think people can’t accept us. I believe we are our own worst judge with negative thoughts, but that is not what God tells us at all, which is what this chapter is all about.
Redding uses Ruth and Naomi, both women in Jesus’ lineage, to construct this chapter. Ruth was not even an Israelite (God is already drawing all kinds of people into the story and reminding us that Jesus is for everyone!). Is that not awesome?
As you read on in the chapter, I am reminded that the scripture chosen for week two’s theme is preparing the way and how John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus. God was already preparing the way for Jesus.
But wait; let’s go back to the first question that stopped me: “Do you ever yearn to be completely known and at the same time completely accepted?”. A lot of times that happens because we get off track, never were on any kind of track, or we have messed up in decisions we have made, so how can we think we are preparing the way in any kind of manner?
As Redding is using Naomi and Ruth’s story, which has ups, downs, and lots of choices that were definitely human and not of God, this is what struck me: Redding says how their experiences and actions became part of preparing a way for God. “God does not send loss, heartache, and shattered dreams that make their lives difficult. God does not operate in that way. God wills only good for us, and God wants fullness of life for each of us. But in this fallen and imperfect world, God acts as both an opportunist and an efficiency expert. …Nothing that happens to us is ever lost. In God’s ecosystem, everything in our lives, even the worst experiences, can teach us about eternal love and draw us towards God’s purposes.” (43) God uses everything for our journey with God!
Why is this important? It’s important because God loves us for who we are, no matter what we or the world thinks. God want us each to be part of the mission to reconcile the world back to God. But we must be comfortable with that fact: God knows us, and when I say God knows us, I mean fully knows who we are (even the parts we try to hide from ourselves) and offers us a place to be fully accepted and loved.
So why home? God calls us to come home at Christmas and “be embraced by the one who loves us as we are.” (45) For those not hearing or taking it in yet, that is God. God wants us to rest with him at Christmas. Because what do most of us do at Christmas? We go home or we go see family, the people with whom we find the most rest. Well, God is the ultimate Home and the purest rest, so use Advent to go to God for rest and prepare your heart to accept that you are accepted and loved for exactly who you are. Then you can start your journey of loving yourself as God loves you and walking the path God has for you.
