“Into a Polarized World God Births Unity: Hope” ~ Jeremiah 33 14-16 & Luke 21:25-36
December 1, 2024 ~ Northwood United ~ Rev. G. Scott Turnbrook
Have you ever attended a birth? Perhaps you have even given birth? Before cigars are handed out and baby showers are held, there is a time of preparation…there is a time of waiting…there is a time of uncertainty. This is the time we are in now: Advent ~ the time of birth preparation for Christmas. The central question usually surrounds the nature of the birth: the health of the mother; the health of the child; and (of course) the details of the miracle God is birthing? This year, as I was pondering what our Advent theme might focus upon, I found myself drawn in the direction of unity. Perhaps you are also concerned about the trend of polarization in the world today? We seem to be growing in the direction of us versus them. Many seem to be distrustful of others who are different. Indeed, many of us are deeply concerned about the growing polarization within our world. So, I wondered if the answered prayer that God might be birthing for us might be one of unity? So, over the coming weeks, we will be pondering God’s birthing of unity into a polarized world. And we begin this Sunday with God’s unity through the gift of hope.
The first text we ponder is the prophet, Jeremiah. He speaks to a people in exile in Babylon —a nation divided, longing for peace, and aching for restoration. And to his community, he speaks God’s words of hope: "The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will fulfill the promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah." Can we begin to imagine how beautiful those words would have been to hear? What an incredible assurance! God promises a future where justice and righteousness will reign—a future personified in the coming of the Righteous Branch. This promise speaks of a collective restoration, where God's people live in harmony under God’s righteous rule.
In our polarized world, where divisions run deep ~ political, cultural, sometimes even within families ~ this promise has the power to resonate deeply if we truly listen to these ancient words. It reminds us that God's vision transcends our human conflicts. God is weaving a narrative of unity, not through human effort but through God’s divine power. Unity, then, becomes seen as God’s ultimate vision for God’s people. I wonder if there is call embedded in this passage for us to remember that? To remember that God is not passive. God is actively fulfilling promises of unity. Like a gardener nurturing a seed, God is cultivating unity even when we cannot yet see its full bloom.
Shifting to the gospel lection, we move into this new year with the gospel focus on Luke. You will recall last year that our focus was on Mark. This new year brings a new gospel focus upon the third gospel writer: Luke. And, at least in my opinion, we are in for a delight. Luke includes the comforting of all the parables: the Prodigal Son, the Lost Sheep, the Good Samaritan. Luke is (arguably) the most pastoral of the gospel writers. (But…alas, I’m getting ahead of myself).
In the Lukan text this morning, we don’t get a lot of compassionate care. The text is very dramatic and powerful. Jesus speaks of signs in the heavens and upheaval on the earth. ‘There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” These images might feel all too familiar in our world. Yet, in the midst of these frightening images, Jesus tells us to “stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near”. These signs, Jesus teaches, are not the end. These signs are the labor pains of something new being birthed. Jesus likens it to the sprouting leaves on a fig tree ~ signs that summer is coming. This is a call to hope, not fear. God, like a midwife, is birthing the kingdom, even through the turmoil. Just as a mother endures labor pains for the joy of new life, we also endure the tension and struggles of our time. All the while trusting that God's work will culminate in the unity that we know as the Kingdom of God.
I wonder if we might see a profound hope in this text? When we see divisions and conflicts, we are tempted to be frustrated, be confused, be in a state of despair. But Jesus urges us to look deeper. The chaos is not the conclusion; it is the prelude to God's redemptive work. Can we trust God enough to stand with hope, knowing that God is birthing something new? An ancient proverb from India popularized by John Lennon offers these words of hope: “Everything will be OK in the end. If it’s not OK, it’s not the end! Might our faith allow us to consider that what ‘seems’ like the end is not. God has not written the conclusion yet; God is still birthing the Kingdom! There is hope, indeed!
What I see uniting these two passages is this Sunday’s theme of hope. It is a hope that looks beyond present divisions to a unity that God yearns to birth. So what is ‘hope’ then? Hope, I think, is not wishful thinking; it is a confident expectation rooted in the nature of God’s character and promise. And as children of God, when we anchor ourselves in this hope: We can become peacemakers in a fractured world. We can listen across divides (ethnic, sexual, class, you name them), showing the love and grace of Christ. We can work for justice, knowing that our efforts align with God's ultimate plan for unity in the Kingdom.
I wonder if a modern illustration might help bring this alive? This quilt was given to me many years ago. Quilt makers could tell me how many hours went into its creation. It would be A LOT! The quilt binds together a mixture of scraps, all different, colours, textures. And the quilter united them together into this warm quilt that gives me warmth as I enjoy my morning coffee on the couch. When the work is finished, a beautiful design emerges. God's work of unity is like this tapestry quilt. We may only see the tangled threads of division now, but God sees the completed masterpiece.
We conclude with Jesus’ guiding words for us in this quest as we live in hope: “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” May we leave here today not as people discouraged by division but as midwives of the hope that only God can provide. A hope that heals, restores, and unites. Amen.