Presented to The Salvation Army: Alberni Valley Ministries, 05 Dec 2021 and 10 Dec 2023 by Major Michael Ramsay (and 614 Warehouse Mission in Toronto on 10 December 2017)
This is the 2023 version. To see the 2021 version, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2021/12/luke-31-6-isaiah-401-8-straight-paths.html
When we were stationed
in Toronto, we participated in the Santa Shuffle, an annual fun race put on by
The Salvation Army. Even Heather when she was very little participated and got
a medal. I used to run off and on. I haven’t really since I was injured during
covid but maybe I will start up again one day. When I lived in Vancouver, I
faithfully ran every second day. I lived about 5km from my office – I used to
run there and back. In Winnipeg I lived almost 10km from the College; a
colleague and I did that run more than once. In Toronto I would run past the
many Officers’ quarters regularly as we all seemed to live in the same area,
and here in Port Alberni I even ran with Rebecca a bit before she moved and
then I was later injured. Running can be fun – but when you get out of the
habit and have to start again or when you start for the very first time it can
be a chore. And sometimes those hills in your first few runs can feel like
mountains and those valleys, ravines. I
can remember when I was first learning to run, being near the end of my run and
my energy... rounding a corner and seeing... another hill to try to run up...I
then understand Luke 3:4-6 and Isaiah 40:3b-5:
“...make
straight in the desert
a
highway for our God.
Every
valley shall be raised up,
every
mountain and hill made low;
the
rough ground shall become level,
the
rugged places a plain.
And
the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and
all people will see it together.
For
the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
This is a great verse
to ponder when you are running up and down hills and around curves, looking
towards a time when obstacles will disappear. Pre-covid we had a Salvation Army
hiking group here that would go for walks on Mondays. There is a lot of hiking
on the Island and if one goes backpacking or on a very long hike, after a few
hours following switchbacks up and down mountains, you can almost feel the
relief of Luke and Isaiah’s valleys raised and mountains levelled. This is part
of the Good News of Luke 3 and Isaiah 40. This is the Good News that John the
Baptist proclaims: when Jesus returns with His Kingdom, obstacles will be
removed. As during Advent we commemorate waiting for Jesus’ birth, we also hope
for His return so our mountains of trouble will be levelled and our valleys of
despair will be raised to abundance. The crookedness of our paths will be
straightened. That is our hope.
Last week we lit the
candle of hope. Today we lit the candle of peace. First one has hope and then
one can even dream of, let alone be at peace. One of the key things about hope
and peace in the context of Isaiah and Luke is that both are to and from God
and an humbled people, a conquered people, an exiled people. There is no hope
when you are on top of the world...only fear that you will fall – and where
there is fear there is no peace.
When we lived in Swift
Current Saskatchewan, I believe each Christmas we would raise more money per
capita for The Salvation Army than any other place. (It is why I always try to
raise $200 000 here – because I raised more than that there more than a decade
ago.) At first this was a victory – and then it was almost a fear for me. What
happens if we are not the best? What if someone beats us? What if I do not beat
my previous record? What if I fail?
It was the same in
university, I did achieve good grades and made the Dean’s list and graduated
with distinction – but I di become distracted by getting good marks and once I
became addicted to ‘A+’s, a ‘B’ was infuriating. There was no inherent joy in
achievement anymore only a fear of failure – and that fear of failure can stomp
out hope and it does kill peace.
It was not always like
that though in school – with my needing to achieve and over-acheive. I remember
a time when I would hope and pray and celebrate even a passing grade. I
remember Grade 11 French. The only French words I remember from that year we’re
‘ne lancer pas la papier’ which means ‘don’t throw the paper’. Apparently the
teacher didn’t like that we threw paper airplanes in class. Every time we made
one, we could hear her say, ‘ne lancer pas la papier’.
I don’t think I was her
favourite student. One day I was in the counselling alcove and I saw my French
teacher and she asked me what I was doing. I told her I was switching out of
her class in 3rd period... ‘That is a very good idea to be out of my class’,
she said. ‘...to your class in fourth period,’ I continued. She was not
impressed.
But forget my tales of
youth. Don’t we all have stories of a more carefree time? Look back on those
times: these are usually times when you didn’t have a lot except the love of a
few good friends and the hope that the future will be better. There is a lot of
freedom in not having much. Is it Janet Joplin who sang that freedom is just
another word for nothing left to lose?
Sometimes this is
right. Sometimes I think we get to a place of fearing loss so much that we no
longer have peace, we no longer have hope and we no longer have love. Sometimes
when we have enough to get by, we don’t share what is ours for fear that we
might not have something. This is reflected very much in tithing. When a person
who has tithed or knows they should tithe, does not tithe... this is a sign
that we are not doing well. This is a symptom that we are not free and at peace
but instead bound up in fear or pride or something else that keeps us from
tithing. I remember when we were Corps Officers in Tisdale, there was Ralph. He
had a limited income. He only made $52.30 a week and you know what? Every week
he tithed $5.23. This is an example of love. This is an example of our hope in
the Lord. I think of him when sometimes I fear for my finances. I can choose peace
and hope instead.
Fear can rob us of
hope. Fear can rob us of love. Fear does rob us of peace. Our candle today is peace and peace is the
opposite of fear. Jesus is the Prince of Peace! And He is who we are awaiting
in Advent.
In Advent we talk about
the Good News of the Salvation of the world. Do you know where in the Bible
this Good News shows up for the first time? Genesis 12:1-3: “All the nations of
the earth will be blessed” and do you know what happens just before then...
Genesis 11: the tower of Babel. God told the people to move and fill the earth.
The people said, ‘No. We are going to stay here, build a city and a tower, and
make a name for ourselves instead.’ God levelled their tower, their city; their
pride and their fear, in order to give them the hope of salvation.
Isaiah records how
God’s own temple was destroyed, the holy city of Jerusalem, and the independent
nations of Israel and Judah - until the day He will return. Their country was
conquered, their city was leveled, their temple was destroyed and through this,
God provided them with hope. In Isaiah comes this hope of flattened mountains,
raised valleys, straight paths and the true peace that can only come from
trusting God.
There are many things
in our world, our country, our province, our time, and our life that are coming
crashing down all around us these days. We can still have peace even in the midst
of it all. God loves us. There have been
some troubles in the world recently – wars oversees some of which we are
ignoring and some of which we are actively provoking, promoting, and pursuing. There
are other things happening right here – in our very neighbourhood. For those of
us who are experiencing tumbling down around us and now feel as if we are in
exile in our own lives, for those of us who are fearing or grieving, for those
of us who feel like all is lost, God is here. When the people were scattered
from the ruins of Babel, God was there with Terah and his son, Abraham, offering
salvation. When Israel was slave to Egypt, God was there with Moses offering
salvation; when Judah was exiled from her city, her temple, and her life, God
was there pointing her towards Salvation: Jesus’ Advent; Jesus whose imminent
return we eagerly await today – at that time all the insurmountable mountains
in our life will be levelled, all the impassable valleys raised, and all our
crooked paths made straight – and right up until that time, right until the end
of this age, He is here with us in the midst of it all.
It is Advent. Let us
start (if we haven’t already) and let us continue in hope in peace and in love.
Let us all walk in God’s hope, God’s love and God’s peace, for we know He will
see us through and we know He is with us even as we look forward to the day of
Christ’s return when all those valleys will be raised, all those mountains will
be levelled and all our paths will straightened for ever more.
Let us pray.
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