December 7, 2014
Isaiah 40:1-11
Mark 1:1-8
Make
Way
Rev. Steve Goodier
relayed a story from Hollins University graduate Annie Dillard in his
reflections. “In her book Teaching a Stone to Talk (Harper
Collins, 1988), Annie Dillard reveals a sad, but poignant story. She tells of a
British Arctic expedition that set sail in 1845 to chart the Northwest Passage
around the Canadian Arctic to the Pacific Ocean. Neither of the two ships and
none of the 138 men aboard returned.
Dillard argues that Captain Sir John Franklin prepared as if they were embarking on a pleasure cruise rather than a grueling journey through one of earth’s most hostile environments. He packed a 1,200 volume library, a hand-organ, china place settings for officers and men, cut-glass wine goblets and sterling silver flatware. Years later, some of these place settings would be found near a clump of frozen, cannibalized bodies.
The voyage was doomed when the ships sailed into frigid waters and became trapped in ice. First ice coated the decks, and the rigging. Then water froze around the rudders, and the ships became hopelessly locked in the now-frozen sea.
Sailors set out to search for help (possibly delirious from lead-poisoning from the cans which preserved their food), but soon succumbed to severe Arctic weather and died of exposure to its harsh winds and subfreezing temperatures. For the next twenty years, remains of the expedition were found all over the frozen landscape.
Dillard reports that the crew did not adequately prepare either for the cold or for the eventuality of the ships becoming ice-locked. On a voyage that was to last two to three years, they packed only their Navy-issue uniforms and the captain carried just a 12-day supply of coal for the auxiliary steam engines. The frozen body of an officer was eventually found, miles from the vessel, wearing his uniform of fine blue cloth, edged with silk braid, a blue greatcoat and a silk neckerchief – clothing which was noble and respectful, but wholly inadequate.”[1]
Dillard argues that Captain Sir John Franklin prepared as if they were embarking on a pleasure cruise rather than a grueling journey through one of earth’s most hostile environments. He packed a 1,200 volume library, a hand-organ, china place settings for officers and men, cut-glass wine goblets and sterling silver flatware. Years later, some of these place settings would be found near a clump of frozen, cannibalized bodies.
The voyage was doomed when the ships sailed into frigid waters and became trapped in ice. First ice coated the decks, and the rigging. Then water froze around the rudders, and the ships became hopelessly locked in the now-frozen sea.
Sailors set out to search for help (possibly delirious from lead-poisoning from the cans which preserved their food), but soon succumbed to severe Arctic weather and died of exposure to its harsh winds and subfreezing temperatures. For the next twenty years, remains of the expedition were found all over the frozen landscape.
Dillard reports that the crew did not adequately prepare either for the cold or for the eventuality of the ships becoming ice-locked. On a voyage that was to last two to three years, they packed only their Navy-issue uniforms and the captain carried just a 12-day supply of coal for the auxiliary steam engines. The frozen body of an officer was eventually found, miles from the vessel, wearing his uniform of fine blue cloth, edged with silk braid, a blue greatcoat and a silk neckerchief – clothing which was noble and respectful, but wholly inadequate.”[1]
We scoff at such an ill-prepared
voyage, at the captain who was either absolutely inept in leadership or so
arrogant he thought he was all set and ready to go. But, it begs the question, how prepared are
we for what lies ahead of us in life? I
mean for the things that truly matter.
As we wait for the coming of the Messiah, are we prepared to accept his
presence in our lives? Have we made way,
made room for the Spirit of the Lord to truly dwell within us?
This is what John the Baptist
was urging his followers to understand as he preached from the banks of the
Jordan River. His job was to prepare everyone for the one who was coming, the
one who would baptize not with water but the Spirit. It is interesting that in the time of Jesus,
baptism would have been used as a way to introduce Gentiles into the Hebrew
faith, but here, John the Baptist calls all
people to repent and be baptized.
John the Baptist feels that the Jewish people need to turn around, to be
reborn as God’s people. God is doing a
new thing.[2]
I can’t help but think of this
holiday season with its shiny wrappers, twinkling lights, and glittering
bows. It is a lot easier for us to focus
on the glories of our cultural Christmas than turn our thoughts to the
necessary work that lies beneath it for us as Christians. You’ve probably seen signs or heard people
saying, “He is the reason for the season.” A quip to remind us of what
Christmas is all about. Well, our
readings from Isaiah and Mark encourage us to do the same. If we focus on the trappings of the
commercial holiday, we are no different from the ship captain who needed his
fine china on the frozen seas. We are
ill prepared, we miss the Holy Day because of the holiday.
Isaiah tells us that
a way must be made, a path must be cleared, a highway paved. How we prepare for
the coming of the Son of God varies for each individual. For some of us it is seeing the cup as half
full instead of half empty. For some of
us it is overcoming greed or envy. For
some of us it is learning to forgive, letting go of anger and hostilities that
boil below the surface. For some of us
it is recognizing our arrogance or the belief that we are already, like the
ship captain in our story, well prepared.
“But, it is John the Baptist’s physical
and spiritual location that most clearly tells us what this new reign is all
about. Mark’s description of the Baptist is meant to invoke images of the
prophet Elijah who is in 2 Kings 1:8 described as having a garment of hair and
a leather belt around his waist. But the emphasis on John’s location
(“wilderness” and “countryside” are mentioned three times) makes clear that the
new reign, and its Messiah, do not come from the religious and social center,
but the margins—the unknown, the unsanctified, the uncomfortable.”[3]
Michela Bruzzese argues, that such
preparation also extends beyond the self. “Taking John’s example, we who await the
Messiah can also “Prepare the way of the Lord” by seeking out our own
“wilderness”—that which is beyond our comfort zone. Since everyone is welcome
to this new reign, we can prepare Jesus’ way by reaching outside our comfort
zones to connect with someone different (you choose the difference:
economic, racial, religious, political party, age, etc.). What is important is
that it is not a natural connection but one that will take time, energy, and
understanding to cultivate.” We can learn from the Apostle Paul, who “knows
from experience that such a task is no easy matter but promises that God will
be present and “patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to
repentance.”[4]
How do we prepare for the coming of the
Messiah? We repent. We repair. We make way: a clear, straight path into our
lives. We make room in our hearts for the Spirit who so desperately wants to
fill us this season. Amen.
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