PSA 11 December 2011

Muriel Sowden. “Make his paths straight!”. A sermon for the third Sunday in Advent. The writer of John’s Gospel wanted to show the divine identity of Jesus. In talking of the “Word” he used a concept that could be understood in both Jewish and Greek culture. The creative power of the loving mind of God became real, coherent and identifiable in the person of Jesus Christ. It shines in him as a true light in the midst of the darkness that surrounds humanity and amongst all the other lights that compete for our attention. In Jesus we see that God is a God who comes to be with us, accepting, forgiving and loving us. Human beings bear witness to that. In John’s Gospel we are not told about the miraculous birth or the confrontational message of the John who is known in the other Gospels as “the Baptiser”. He bears witness to what is beyond him rather than draw attention to himself. His identity lies in his relationship to Jesus. Only in our relationship with God in Jesus can we know our true identity, and be our true selves, because the good news is that God is love. We are called to proclaim that and to prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness. What does that mean at this Church in the centre of Rome? God does not see what we are now but what we can become. Jesus is asking if we want to be made whole. We have all struggled with brokenness. Transformation can only come in stages. We do not yet know the full impact of his coming. Prepare the way of the Lord and make his paths straight!

The readings were Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 and John 1:6-8, 19-28.