Baruch 5:1-9 Take off the
garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on forever the
beauty of the glory from God. Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes
from God: put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting; for God
will show your splendor everywhere under heaven. God will give you evermore the
name, "Righteous Peace, Godly Glory."
Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height; look toward the
east, and see your children gathered from west and east at the word of the Holy
One, rejoicing that God has remembered them. For they went out from you on
foot, led away by their enemies; but God will bring them back to you, carried
in glory, as on a royal throne.
For God has ordered that every high mountain and the
everlasting hills be made low and the valleys filled up, to make level ground,
so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God. The woods and every
fragrant tree have shaded Israel at God's command. For God will lead Israel
with joy, in the light of his glory, with the mercy and righteousness that come
from him.
Malachi 3:1-4
See, I am sending my messenger to
prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his
temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight - indeed, he is
coming. Who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he
appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; he will sit as
a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi
and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to God in
righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to God
as in the days of old and as in former years.
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When Lucy backs her way through the
wardrobe, she meets another being. Both are surprised and a little frightened.
Mr. Tumnus is carrying a lot of packages which he drops as he darts to hide
behind a tree trunk. He’s surprised to see a human girl in Narnia.
Probably not more surprised than
Lucy – for Mr. Tumnus is a faun…a mythological half human–half goat creature.
He has the legs and tail of a goat and the head, arms and torso of a man, and
very pointed ears. In fact, he’s a representation from the Greek pantheon of Gods,
representing life and fertility. Fauns guided humans in need, although they
were also depicted as being a little silly. They also were reputed to play
magic pipes, as was the God for whom they were also named – Pan.
Tumnus invites Lucy to his home,
feeds her and then lulls her to sleep playing a lullaby on his pan-pipe. When she awakens, he confesses that he must
betray her, and turn her over to the White Witch.
Now, Lucy is a child – but she’s a
very strong child with a strong sense of what is right. As Mr, Tumnus weeps in
despair at what he must do, Lucy hands him a handkerchief for his tears, but
she digs in her heels and convinces him that he needs to repent. Tumnus gains
strength and courage from Lucy’s compassion as well as her very strong sense of
justice. He changes his mind, and decides to help Lucy escape the witch, even
though it means his life will be in danger.
We often think children can’t grasp
certain concepts, or aren’t mature enough to understand. I believe we
underestimate our children significantly. Four-year-old Austin Perine, in
Birmingham, Alabama uses his allowance to feed homeless. He dresses up in a
blue outfit with red tights and a red cape, his T-shirt displays the hashtag
“Show Love”. Austin goes, with his father, to the homeless shelters and hand
out sandwiches and other food even in the hottest weather. Austin knows exactly
what he is doing and why.
A friend of mine last week said
“Prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child.” There is deep
truth here. Lucy’s parents clearly believed children needed to be able to
adjust and make good choices. Lucy is a prime example. She adjusts to the road,
but she doesn’t lose herself. She knows who she is, she has compassion, and she
also knows right from wrong.
All the children eventually find
their way to Narnia, together. And they too meet an unusual character – a
talking beaver. A talking Beaver who leads them to his home, where they meet
Mrs. Beaver. But what’s the really important part of this story? That the
beavers are sentient and can talk? Or that their door is open to someone in
need. In this beautiful but cold and frozen place, hospitality is freely and
openly offered to strangers. You notice there are few questions, just the boys
and Mr. Beaver catching fish for dinner, and Mrs. Beaver and the girls together
preparing the table. It’s a feast, where the table is open to everyone without
question and without hesitation.
And they learn about Aslan, the
coming King, and the role they play in bringing about the New Creation. And
they learn that sometimes the people who know them and love them also hurt
them; and they learn that sometimes people they don’t know at all will stand up
for them.
They learn, too, that they are part
of a preparation long awaited – the coming of the messenger who will set right
the balance, who will “refine and purify” until the kingdom of former times is
restored. They learn that it only happens with everyone playing a part, and that every part is
critical.
Let’s jump back a bit. When they
come through the wardrobe, the only one who really recognises the winter cold
is Susan. She’s always been considered the bossy one of the four. She’s the
second-born of four, but she is also a first-born girl and the oldest girl. And
when her mother sends her off at the station, Susan knows the expectation is
that she may have to be a mother to the rest for real, depending on whether or
not her parent survive the Blitz. Susan is just young enough to need her
mother, but already old enough to be a mother. It’s a heavy load.
She notices the cold, and notices
the incredible number of fur coats. It makes sense to take what there is right
at hand, and make use of it. Susan wants them all to be prepared for whatever
may come. Just what’s at hand. They didn’t run back to get boots and scarves,
or pack a lunch. They made use of what was provided and went from there – into
the unknown.
The Bible is full of stories of God
providing. Adam and Eve were given clothing made of skins when they were
ushered out of Eden; Moses and the Israelites were given manna, quail, water
fro a rock, and even medicine to cure them of poisonous bites. God says to
Jeremiah and to the other prophets that they do not need to worry about what to
say – the words will be given.
Advent is a little like that – yes
it is about anticipation and preparation, but it’s also about not fretting the
details – about being as ready as we can with what God provides. And we often
spend so much time in ‘preparation’ that we miss the other equally important
parts of Advent – to listen, to watch, and to wait. As we follow the story, notice the amount of time spent
listening, watching and waiting – because those things are also part of
preparation, of getting ready. Although they don’t know it, the children are
starting out on a journey which will result in a total change in Narnia – a
change for the good. When Aslan comes peace comes too – but that’s not the end
of the journey, nor the story.
We too are starting out on a
journey – we must watch, listen, wait, and be prepared – use whatever is at
hand as we go, accept the help and companionship offered – and keep going.
The refiner comes, the one who will
purify. And we are called to put on the robes of righteousness – fur coats
hanging in a very odd closet.
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