Saturday, Week Three of Advent by Brian Whitaker
Jeremiah 33:14-16
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The Lord is our righteousness."
=================================================================================
The Days are Coming
Anticipation.
I don't know about you, but this has been a year where I've been intentionally trying NOT to anticipate anything. Why? I've been practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness is many things, but at the deepest root, it's about staying in tune with the moment. Paying attention to the present instead of getting caught up in thoughts and feelings disconnected from the NOW.
I took up that practice for many reasons, in part because it felt like we, as a country, as a culture, had moved into a time where it seemed easier to anticipate negative things than positive ones.
After all, in 2017, politics were more polarizing than ever. Weather delivered unprecedented destruction. And violence shattered friendships, families, and fellowship.
But this passage in Jeremiah reminds us that it's worth being mindful of a deeper, more fundamental truth. Even in hard times, when promises aren't met, there's always the potential for a new growth to emerge from something that feels dormant and forgotten. God makes promises, and though they come to life in his time, not ours, they eventually emerge and uplift us all.
Julian wrote "All will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of thing will be well." That radical optimism is something we've been taught by God, by Christ, and by this passage. Be mindful of it. Don't let the troubles of the world and the difficulties of your life distract you from our fundamental call -- to anticipate, to hope, and to believe that "what is just and right in the land" will one day emerge from David's line.
The days are coming indeed.