(I wrote this for Advent 3 but snow cancelled church that Sunday.)
12/21/2025--As Good As It Gets
Imagine this. You woke up this morning and the sun was shining bright. It was 71 degrees and a middle-of-the-night rain left the flowers and grass and bushes in your yard well-watered and looking great.
You have your favorite breakfast and everyone you love calls or comes by to see how you are and to wish you a great day.
Your bank calls and tells you your investments have gone up 25% over night. Your doctor calls and says the test he did all turned out great--you're as healthy as you've ever been. Plus the TV stations have changed their offerings and all your favorite shows are on whenever you want to watch. A neighbor has washed and vaccumed your car and filled it with gas. You check the lottery ticket you bought yesterday and find out it's a winner.
Today is as good as it gets! All is well and all is well and all manner of things are well!
Today's collect says, "Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us...."
Today's readings echo what God's power can do among us.
Isaiah says: "The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,/the desert shall rejoice and blossom;/like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,/and rejoice with joy and singing..../Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees./Say to those who are of a fearful heart,/'Be strong and do not fear.'"
Then the Psalm tells us: "Who gives justice to those who are oppressed/and food to those who hunger?/The Lord sets the prisoners free./the Lord opens the eyes of the blind;/the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;/the Lord loves the righteous;/the Lord cares for the stranger;/he sustains the orphan and widowed."
And in Matthew's gospel, Jesus sends this message to John the Baptist, who is in prison: "Go and tell John what you hear and see; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them."
Perhaps, as we await the birth of the Christ Child, we should look for and find the GOOD in life--what is positive, what gives hope, what points to the Wonder that is God.
Perhaps we must see the Positive and correct the negative by doing all we can to bring all people into the light.
Perhaps we should assume that all is well, all is well, all manner of things are well...and do all we can to repair what isn't well.
Perhaps that is our calling as the Body of Christ in the world.
Perhaps....
Shalom and Amen.
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