When they first came out, commercials featured a driver, lost in the middle of the night, pressing a button on the leather padded dashboard. A very pleasant voice broke the silence, “Welcome to on-star. How can we help you?” The voice then proceeded to give the lost driver directions to his destination. A decade ago, that scene was pure fantasy; today global positioning systems, known as GPS, have made that scene quite real, providing accurate directions to anyone who is lost.
In life we can get lost, not just literally when trying to find some place for the first time, but also on our spiritual journey. When we find ourselves at any crossroad, uncertain which way to turn, we may wish that we had a moral or spiritual GPS to help us find the right way to go. These readings remind us that we have one in the person of Jesus Christ.
Whatever our age, life is a journey on which we are always making choices that can send us in any direction, sometimes bringing us closer to God, sometimes not. Advent is a time for us to check on our whereabouts and to see how we can back on track if we are spiritually lost.
While we have tons of gadgets, like GPS, which did not exist in biblical times, the human situation hasn’t changed all that much since then. Like our ancestors, we are on an odyssey from birth to death, but what are we really looking for as we traverse through life? That is the question raised in a story entitled, The Magic Castle.
Once upon a time, a weary traveler was wandering down a dark and scary road. Suddenly there appeared before him a bright castle with a welcome sign over the entrance. Knowing that he had reached a safe place, the traveler was relieved.
Approaching the open gate, he noticed that other travelers were walking past the castle as if it wasn’t there. He asked a resident of the castle about this strange behavior and was told, “This is a magic castle. Only those who admit they have lost their way can see it. The castle can’t appear to persons who pretend to know where they are going or demand their own way. Your own self-honesty made the castle appear to you. Enter, for all its riches are yours.” The traveler found what many were missing by first admitting to himself that he was lost.
Isaiah shares his vision with a people who are lost that God can be found. He speaks of valleys, mountains, hills and deserts being transformed so that all could see the glory of God. If the rugged land shall be made a plain and the rough country, a broad valley, then the glory of God would be revealed in their midst. Likewise, if we want to see God, I hear Isaiah telling us to level our mountains of pride, hatred, prejudice, jealousy, conceit and self-sufficiency that block our view of God. In our deserts free of distractions, we will find God.
Like their ancestors, many of the Jews of Jesus’ time yearned to also witness the glory of God. They heard the call of John the Baptist, bringing alive the message of Isaiah, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” And so they did, by acknowledging their sins, repenting and being baptized.
The early Christian community whom Peter addressed also yearned to witness the glory of God. They anticipated the imminent return of Jesus Christ. However, Peter cautions that God’s sense of time isn’t the same as ours, but until God arrives, Peter tells them to conduct themselves in holiness and devotion, eager to be caught in the act of doing what is right in the sight of God. Two thousand years later, Peter’s advice remains timely for us as well.
Amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, with all that needs to be done before Christmas, we can easily discount the message and purpose of Advent so that when Christmas comes, we won’t recognize the Jesus whose birth we await. To echo John, we too must prepare the way of the Lord and that begins with repentance, which literally means “change one’s mind.”
If we want to recognize the presence of Jesus Christ in our midst, then we may need to change how we relate to him in our lives, especially if we feel that he is not as present to us as we want him to be.
In the latest issue of The Word Among Us, one article touches on a very common experience at Christmas: families reuniting at airports, welcoming others home. Well, in this Advent season, God is inviting us home. God wants us to know a joy that never fails, even in times of trial, even when human relationships distress or disappoint. God is ready to remove any barrier, big or small, to our relationship with him and he does so by inviting us to the sacrament of reconciliation. Like the airport, the reconciliation room can be a scene of a joyful meeting. (In addition to our advent service on Wednesday, the 17th, the sacrament is celebrated on Saturdays at 4 and other times by appointment.) By the way, this article also provides a good examination of conscience to prepare ourselves beforehand.
Like a GPS system, God provides a good start for new beginnings, but its destination cannot be reached without our response. Heed the message of John the Baptist, do what you can to prepare the way of the Lord, allowing Jesus to be the GPS spiritual star that guides the way for you. Undoubtedly, others who are looking for the good news that will bring them peace and security, justice and compassion, trust and hope. Help them to discover that Jesus is indeed the way, the truth and the life, the very reason for this season.