This post, by Don Hu, is a reflection on the “In the Way of Peace” sermon as part of the “Waiting on God” sermon series.
When we lit the Candle of Hope and then the Candle of Peace, I felt a deep appreciation of what was said: the reminder that we are waiting for the Advent of Christ. The act is simple, but important and powerful; we are not only expecting a routine happy holiday season named Christmas every year, but the candles remind me of a bride preparing for the coming of the Bridegroom.
Understanding the Hebrew wedding is indispensable to understanding the whole Bible. This is something I learned recently, only to wish that I had learned it much earlier, but also thankful I ever learned it. Today’s sermon reminded me of one aspect of the bride: waiting, as a Hebrew bride, is special. The bride prepares herself – sanctifies herself – for a long period, without knowing the hour the groom will appear. She has to prepare the wedding dress herself, by her own hands, — not by servants or helpers, and not by purchase — and from that point onward it must be ready all the time. She is not to leave it far away or find some other use for it. To our culture, it might be so inconvenient and unnecessary, but how much is the bride transformed in the waiting?
The Kingdom of God is already in us and within us by the deposit of the Holy Spirit, yet when we look for outward manifestations, looking here and there, we only get frustrated. But Jesus is eager to see us be His Kingdom.
Just as the bride prepares herself, the groom sees her beauty and it touches his heart. Like the bride, we should expect the pleasure of God in watching us. God planned this marriage for so long, and so much has been already done so well, yet what we, His bride, are preparing, is important to the plan. He eagerly awaits the completion of the marriage. Of course what pleases God can only be done by the power of God.
What a great honour to be part of God’s great plan that He carries out Himself. Yet we must to do it with our free will and full intent, even though there are so many distractions away from the big picture.
Recently I was revisiting a book by Eugene Peterson titled “Run with Horses. The Quest for Life at its Best.” (Jeremiah 12:5) It is about the journey of the Prophet Jeremiah, who often argues with God when he observes the chaotic world around him. I would like to mention a few sample questions that I paraphrase from the opening chapter of the book, to help us find who we are currently, who we are called to be, and what we should decide to change. Yes, life is difficult for a chosen one, do you want to quit at the first wave of opposition? Who defines who you are: God Almighty, or yourself? Do you really have an opinion of yourself that is more than what your environment told you, you are? What defines you? What does God want you to achieve? What do you want to achieve: rich life, low cost life, dominance over your neighbours, long life, comfortable life, safe life, or life at its best? At your minimum, is it easier and safer to try to be a featherless biped?
Jeremiah could not find any inner peace away from God, even with the challenges. May great heavenly peace come to us this Advent.