The prophet Habakkuk cries out to God, "O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you 'Violence!' and you will not save?" Words that God's people have cried out for over a millenia and words that are cried this very day for children in Yemen, for children separated from their families, for children tear gassed. It is easy to fall into the trap of despair; to wonder if this all will ever change for us. But, like Habakkuk, we need to stand watch and witness to the world the way of faith, the way of our God, the way of the Prince of Peace.
God answers the prophet with these words: If your answer seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.
We are an Advent people. We are called to show the world how to wait for the coming of our Lord, the answer to our prayers. We are called to announce to the world the better way, the way that honors people over profits, honors children over fear, and honors peace over violence. We do this by practicing the disciplines of faith: prayer, worship, hospitality, dwelling in God's word, and the one we overlook the most - the discipline of being present. This discipline is practiced in two ways.
The first way involves us in our one on one relationships. Many folk have found their way into my office in despair for many reasons: a relationship falling apart, a betrayal of a friend, the death of a loved one, a lost job, or even the world problems weighing one down. In all of these instances the one discipline of faith that brings about the most comfort is the space of silence; the time spent with another just allowing the shape of grief to manifest itself. This called the discipline of being present. In those moments God is indeed present. God sits with us in that silence broken by sobs, or deep breaths, or even the slamming of a fist to the arm of the chair. When one sits with another and waits with grace it is amazing how peace fills the space between.
The second way involves our commitment to justice. One of the most powerful ways that we support those who are weak or powerless is to show up and to stand alongside them in solidarity. Marching in the Gay Pride Parade every year is one way our congregation does this. Another is when a group heads to Olympia to petition our government on behalf of the vulnerable. When we stand in silence in front of illegal detention centers we remind the powerful that we will not forget those inside are our siblings in Christ.
I think that this is in part what Habakkuk means when he says: Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will exult in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and makes me tread upon the heights.
These words call us to remember that our God is coming into the world to redeem the lost and the forsaken, to wipe every tear away. We are an Advent people: we wait, we hope and more importantly we are present.
