Freedom is coming!

Scripture Reflection for the Second Sunday of Advent (December 6, 2015)

Scripture Readings:
Baruch 5:1-9
Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11
Luke 3:1-6

Like many musicians I experience the world and process events in my in my life through music. As I was reflecting on the readings for this Sunday, three songs kept running through my mind:
“Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord,” from the musical Godspell, the Taize song “Wait for the Lord” and a traditional African hymn “Freedom is Coming.”

All three passages speak to anticipation and release. We prepare, we wait, and we rejoice … for freedom is coming.

The speaker in the Old Testament reading from the book Baruch is exuberant. Freedom at last for God’s people! Their exile is over. They have been released from their captivity.

The second reading from Paul's letter to the Philippians is also filled with joy. Paul is like a proud parent. He is bursting with joy at the actions and attitude of the community. Unbridled joy is expressed even more clearly in the psalm “The Lord has done great things for us!”

The Gospel is more restrained, but the sense of anticipation is heightened. We hear about John the Baptist, preaching repentance and quoting from the book of Isaiah:

“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

So what is all the preparation about? What are we actually preparing?

Sometimes I feel that the anticipation of Advent is all about waiting until we’re “allowed” to celebrate Christmas. After all, our Catholic practice of Advent is counter cultural. We start seeing commercials for holiday sales in October, and our celebration doesn’t start until Christmas Eve! Then I realize that I’m missing the point. Advent anticipation isn't about the celebration of Christmas at all, it’s about preparing for the Kingdom of God.

Freedom is coming, and not just freedom for captives and exiles, not just freedom from sin, not just freedom from anxiety. What’s coming is the freedom of eternal life.

Image: Freedom! by Alban Gonzalez. Found on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.