18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
***
The season of Advent has continued around us. The season of longing. The season of waiting. The season of anticipation. The season when our focus becomes worldly, and we lose sight of the spirit moving in our lives.
This is the time of the year when we lose focus on the "reason for the season." We become preoccupied with the gifts, the decorations, the festivities that are taking our focus away from the coming/return/birth of the savior of the world.
In the times of Joseph it merely took a messenger in a dream to convince him not to "dismiss" his girlfriend quietly. However, what does it take now? What does it take for us to recognize the spirit of God moving in/around/through us? Have we become so focused on the pomp and circumstance of the world that we have forgotten what it feels like to be dazzled by the spirit of God? Have we become so desensitized to the needs of our neighbor that we are no longer captivated by the plight of the other?
God's spirit continues to move around us. The spirit of love. The spirit of compassion. The spirit of loving forgiveness. Even during this season of longing anticipation, we are called to move by the spirit. Allow the spirit to create in us new hearts to better love. Allow the spirit to bear beautiful fruit to benefit the rest of the world.
Do you feel it?
Do you see it?
Do you experience it?
As the season of Advent turns into the time of Epiphany, we need to be on the lookout for the evidence of the spirit moving over the surface of our world. It could come in a flash or in a whisper on the wind. God is with us. God is with us. God is with us... do you feel it?
No comments:
Post a Comment