Salvation is here!
by Colleen Fitzpatrick
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The Lord is our king; it is he who will save us (Isaiah 33:22b).
I love choir music. One of my favourite Christmas pieces is by the English composer John Tavener. It is a Christmas proclamation beginning with the words, ‘God is with us. Hear ye people, even to the uttermost ends of the earth’. Listening to it moves me deeply. You can hear the confidence and joy ringing in the choristers’ voices.
To me, today’s reading shouts out a Christmas proclamation, a prophecy of deliverance. Hooray! Let’s shout it out: ‘the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us’.
In these days of uncertainty, that sounds amazing! The past three years have not been easy. Here in Australia, we have gone from crippling drought to soaking rain and floods. We have gone from lives of freedom where we could come and go as we pleased, through to times of lockdowns, restrictions and forced compliance, to comparative freedom once more.
Where we were once a land of plenty, we have had to get used to shortages and gaps on supermarket shelves and the constant commentary of labour shortages. Never before have our medical staff and those supporting their work had it so tough.
And on the world stage, there are wars and rumours of wars – including 33 countries listed as being at war right now; there are floods, droughts and famines. Mass shootings and attacks on life and property are commonplace.
Advent is a time of preparation and getting ready. We have had time to reflect:
- Hope is like a light shining in a dark place; we cannot have hope without faith.
- Peace passes all our human understanding; for peace, we need quiet minds and open hearts.
- Love places the needs of others above our own needs. God’s love for us does not impose conditions or expectations. It’s a free gift for all.
- Joy comes to us in unexpected ways when we most need it. We can delight in all of the good gifts that God gives us every day, particularly God’s precious son.
Today’s reading is preparing us to really celebrate the coming of our Saviour King. He is coming soon – we can trust God’s promises. When the king comes, the terror will have passed. There will be no hostile attacks. There will be enough for everybody. There will be justice and fairness for all. What a fitting message for today, two days before Christmas Eve.
Gracious Lord, our heavenly king, we yearn for your coming when God’s promises to us will be fulfilled. As we prepare for Christmas, fill our hearts with hope, peace, love and joy so we can truly celebrate your coming. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Colleen Fitzpatrick trained as a social worker and worked in foster care and adoptions. She was the director of Lutheran Community Care in South Australia. Colleen is now retired but is a member of several committees and boards within the LCA and the community. She has a husband, John, two daughters and three granddaughters. Colleen lives in Adelaide, South Australia.
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