Image borrowed from Christianity Today
There’s a detail in the first reading
that goes by so quickly, it’s easy to miss.
It refers to a sprout from the “stump of Jesse.”
In other words, there was a tree; and it was destroyed,
And it’s just a stump. What happened?
It’s the same story as Creation; the same story of my life and yours.
From the point of view of natural physics,
it’s called the Law of Entropy: things go wrong.
Last week, we began Advent
by looking at four important “why” questions,
working from the book Rescued by Fr. John Riccardo.
The first question was, Why Creation; why are we here?
Answer: because God created you and me for an eternal relationship.
And yet: something went very wrong. That’s this week’s question: Why?
And, this week’s answer follows from last week’s:
The reason something went wrong is because
God didn’t want Creation to be simply a well-oiled machine.
He chose to create beings capable of love,
and of being raised to Divine Life; and that meant freedom;
and that meant something could go wrong.
God created Cherubim and Seraphim, angels; and us.
What went wrong? Some of the angels chose against God.
And they “infected” humanity with the “virus” of evil.
Now, a skeptical person might dismiss that explanation.
But this doesn’t require that much faith.
Here’s fact one: you and I behold an astonishing Cosmos around us.
Here’s fact two: we also see, not just decay, but spite.
Many people deny God exists; but can anyone deny evil does?
There are hatreds and crimes so cruel
that they can only be explained by malice personified;
and there you have it: the serpent; the devil.
There is a comforting lie that says, we’ll all end up just fine.
Go back to sleep.
But that’s not what Isaiah says. Or St. Paul.
Or John the Baptist. Certainly not our Lord Jesus.
Let me offer a startling image.
We all know books and shows that are terrifying.
If we’re smart, we don’t look at them before bed.
There was a film, “World War Z.” A TV series, “The Walking Dead.”
You know: about zombies.
You know what the real terror of zombies is?
It’s not that they are out there, somewhere.
Even across the street, or at the door.
No. The greatest dread is, I’ve been infected.
I’m becoming a zombie. Is it too late?
When we talk about evil in the world,
it’s so tempting to say, what’s wrong is “those people,”
or that economic system;
or, that what we need is technology or money or a program.
No. The problem is sin: that evil that infects us,
and works on us gradually, till we become used to it,
And then at a certain point, it whispers to us: it’s too late for you!
That’s why Isaiah and John the Baptist yelled their heads off.
That’s why God decided sending prophets wasn’t enough;
he had to come himself!
This is the part of the story we human beings don’t want to accept:
the crisis is worse than we realize. It’s to the bone.
Only then do you and I agree to the most radical surgery:
We need a new heart.
This season of Advent is about Eternity.
Preparing, not just for a celebration each year on Dec. 25,
but for an eternity of true reconciliation:
Peace with God, with our best selves, and with each other.
That’s the picture Isaiah paints in the first reading.
But: It’s like a dream. A life of no evil; no harm?
It doesn’t seem possible.
So, there’s the kick: the very fact that it seems so fantastic
shows us how accustomed we are to things being bad!
And yet, if we’re used to it being bad, why do we even hope?
Zombies don’t care. They don’t hope.
That push-pull each of us experiences is the proof:
No, you and I are NOT in that Paradise, this is surely not it!
But we’re supposed to be!
That new heart is available! The operation works!
Our churches have extra hours scheduled
for confession between now and Christmas.
Check the bulletin. Give yourself some moments for reflection.
This is our time. You and I need to change. And we can.
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