Dear friends,
This coming Sunday is the last Sunday before the beginning of Advent.
A year ago, we were in the midst of wondering what sort of Christmas celebrations we could have with the stricter restrictions which were then in force. Then we had the promise of lifting the restrictions, only for them to be tightened just before Christmas. Hopefully, this year we will not face so much uncertainty.
While doing our shopping this week we noticed one of the shop staff wearing a Christmas jumper. She explained that last Monday was the stores official starting date for Christmas and staff were encouraged to wear appropriate clothing. So she diligently dug out a seasonal jumper only to arrive at work to find that she was only one of the staff doing so. She expressed annoyance that no one else, even the managers who had made the decision, had followed the instruction. ‘I feel such a fool,’ she said.
There is much in the Bible about being foolish for the sake of the gospel. Standing out in the crowd for actions or decisions which mark you out as going against the flow of popular opinion. St Paul talks of us being fools for Christ (I Corinthians 4:10), Jesus himself was seen as a fool in his ministry ultimately hanging on the cross, where he was ridiculed.
Do those who were labelled as foolhardy environmental protestors for decades seem so foolish today? Or do those who ridiculed them now feel foolish enough to change their ways? Often the difference between the fool and those who label them as such centres on who holds the power in that situation or relationship.
God’s way of revealing himself among us in the coming seasons of Advent and Christmas is as a refugee child, with no power or influence. How foolish!
Peace
Tim