Affect & Effect

December 9, 2007     Advent 2 A

Isaiah 11:1-10             Psalm 72:1-14, 18-19 

Romans 15:4-13         St. Matthew 3:1-12

In the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, one of the more elaborate meditations is a study of the Incarnation. Ignatius has us imagine the Trinity gazing upon the world, desiring to save the human race. He paints a vast mural of persons, various in dress, actions, and color, "some in peace and others in war; some weeping and others laughing; some well, others ill; some being born and others dying."

But there is great blindness in humanity. People not only lose their way; they lose their souls as well. So Ignatius writes of the great entry. God, in the second person of the Trinity, chooses to become one of us. In the earthly village the Virgin gives herself in gratitude and trust.

The entry of God is not only portrayed as a religious experience by individual persons, it is also an invasion of history itself, a breaching of the geopolitical and social worlds of all humankind.

This global emphasis did not originate with Ignatius of Loyola. It is clear even from the prophetic utterances of Isaiah that the Messiah, upon whom the Spirit of the Lord would rest, was to be of vast importance, not only toIsrael, but to the Gentile world as "a signal for the nations."

Isaiah tells us that the promised one, with the wisdom and understanding of God's Spirit, will judge the poor with justice and strike the ruthless and wicked. He will carry a peace to the world that transforms even the animals.

Wolves will eat with lambs, leopards with kids. Lions will browse with calves, cows, and bears. Babies will play near cobras as if they were kindly neighbors. A little child will lead the entire earth, where "there shall be no harm or ruin."

The reforming power of God's advent, must penetrate our interior lives. This was the message of John the Baptist.

We may, like the Pharisees, go through the motions of baptism, but we are commanded to "give some evidence that you mean to reform." It is not enough to proclaim that we are saved. We must yield our entire being for purification by the Holy Spirit and fire.

Many Christians seem to have a problem with the total message of the Incarnation and Christ's advent. They tend to select some safe portion of their lives that they open to God while they slam shut all the others.

Some of us think we can get by with allowing God to enter our interior "prayer lives." We try to hold the reform to that.

We resist the possibility that our relation to our families or friends could be transformed. We can't imagine that we would have to change our attitudes toward our enemies.

And we certainly would not tolerate any challenge to our pet political suppositions or economic practices.

John, anticipating the judgment Christ's coming would bring, prepared "the way of the Lord" by calling the people to repentance.

We become an Advent people when we heed John's message by converting our way of living.

There are some of us who ardently believe in the social gospel. We want the world to be saved.

We insist that the Democrats and Republicans be reformed. We demand that the church be changed and nations disarmed. But it rarely strikes us that we may be as unjust in our own relationships as the principalities and powers are in theirs.

We can't imagine that we, in our own way, could be as narcissistic and self-centered as preening politicians and avaricious misers.

If we restrict the entry of God into our lives, we cannot help but limit the power of God's grace. When we wonder why our path of discipleship seems to lead nowhere, it may be because we have set up too many roadblocks.

John, anticipating the judgment Christ's coming would bring, prepared "the way of the Lord" by calling the people to repentance.

We become an Advent people when we heed John's message by converting our way of living and bearing good fruit.

Advent is a time when we are bombarded with all kinds of messages, especially from advertising. We must beware that we don't lose the message John the Baptist brings.

According to John, repentance is something that can be observed in a concrete change of life. When he sees those who want baptism in order to "flee from the coming wrath," he challenges them to  "Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance" (3:8).

External rites and rituals like baptism (and Advent practices!) are easy compared to what John demands. Yet, to avoid the coming judgment, the hard work of preparing and repenting is required. The authenticity of repentance is evident in producing good fruit. Advent and its call to repent must have an affect on us. It calls us to examine our lives and turn from those things that are not pleasing to God. But Advent must also effect a change in us to do those things that are pleasing to God. Affect and effect, both sides of repentance are held before our eyes in the call of John the Baptist. Advent is a season of hope. Hope that God will act to save our lives. Hope that God will affect our way of thinking and effect a change in our actions.