Out of the Desert
Psalm 85 Isaiah 40:1-11
December 7, 2008 Second Sunday in Advent
If you have ever lived in the desert, then you are well aware of the value of water. Simple, fresh, clean water can spell the difference between life and death. Here in Vermont where our faucets flow easily and where streams and ponds dot the landscape, we have a little harder time imagining the fear associated with lack of water. But out in the desert regions of this country, entire cities are built on the premise that water can be piped in, from long distances if necessary, to support life in a previously dry and desolate area.
When I lived out in Flagstaff, Arizona, it was during a time when new developments were spreading out from Phoenix almost on a weekly basis. Neighborhoods were built on the promise that water could be found. We took a youth group trip up to Lake Powell, the enormous reservoir created to hold water in safekeeping for the cities below. It was astonishing to see, and maybe even more amazing to look around and notice that the lake was held in by mountains that used to edge a long, deep valley. Below the water were towns and villages absolutely filled with the artifacts of lives both native and white. The valleys had been flooded to provide for those new neighborhoods around Phoenix and many. many more like them, built in the desert with the promise of water from somewhere.
This morning's scriptures each speak of the changes that need to be made in order to prepare for the coming of the Holy, the coming of the Christ. Taken literally, the landscapes would have to be submitted to steamrollers pressing mountains down, and bulldozers filling in the valleys. But living in a time when this kind of thing is actually being done in the name of mountaintop mining and industrial development, we are all pretty sensitive to the images, and they are not positive ones. It probably isn't all that bad that these readings remind us of the fragility of our world when subjected to human intervention this extreme. Even as we are preparing the way for God to come into our lives, we need to be aware of the life of which we are a part, and of our heavy responsibilities for this amazing world.
But the images and the calls to attention and preparedness that we hear in this morning's scriptures are actually directed more toward our personal readiness. The valleys that need to be filled in are those within ourselves, those low places that drag us down into their depths and refuse to let us go, refuse to allow us to get on with our lives. These valleys that trip us up are the ones we need to pay some attention to as we try our best to get ready for whatever it is God wants to bring alive in us. And the mountains that need to be leveled are the ones that get in the way of our ability to see the horizon, the ones that loom large before us almost taunting us by their sheer height and mass. These are mountains that refuse to let us pass and hold us back from accomplishing whatever it is our souls and spirits long to do. These are the mountains that we would do well to break down to manageable height.
What are these valleys and mountains in your life, the ones that are in the way of your actually being able to live the life you would choose? And how long have they been there in front of you, holding you hostage in a certain sense? Take a moment in your mind's eye, to see just one of these mountains. What is this mountain? What does it represent in your life? What kind of power does it hold for you and over you? Are there ways in which this mountain actually does you some good? Give yourself some time to reflect on the benefits of this huge obstacle in your life. Look at it from all angles and perspectives. Make sure you understand all of the different aspects of this mountain and all that it represents in your life both good and difficult. When you feel you have a clear image of all that this mountain has meant for you, offer your gratitude for the gifts of its presence in your life. Surround it with your thanks. And now ask yourself if you are willing to begin tearing this mountain down.
If the answer is "yes," then simply watch in your mind's eye as the mountain crumbles away.
Throughout Advent, you may want to spend some time addressing each mountain, each obstacle, that is in the way of your being able to welcome the Holy into your life. The valleys can also present problems for us and for our spiritual growth. We all know that going through difficult times can help us grow spiritually and emotionally; but we also know that there comes a time when we have to be willing to walk out of that darkness and feel our way back into the light. We need to eventually come back to life and go about the business of living our lives - the good, the difficult, the ups and the downs. As we live into our lives and through our difficulties, we become better able to deal with the next valley we encounter, the next period of darkness and suffering. No human life is immune to suffering or grief, but equally, no human life need be devoid of life's joys and pleasures. Except for times of extremity, the balance is usually in our hands, or maybe it is more accurate to say it is in our minds.
There is an old story about two travelers who had just returned home from a certain city. One young man was a cheerful fellow always smiling and finding ways to be helpful to those around him. The other was rather grumpy and difficult. He never seemed to be happy at all. When asked by a mutual friend about the nature of folks in the city they had visited it wasn't surprising that the first young man had found people there to be welcoming and friendly. He said that he had enjoyed several entertaining encounters with folks and had even been invited to share meals in a number of homes while he was there. The second man stared at him with incredulity and then told how he had found people in that city to be cold and unfriendly. "No one would even give me the time of day," he said. "It was awful! I would never go back there." It was obvious to the mutual friend that each traveler found exactly what he brought with him as well as to a certain extent whatever it was that he expected to discover in the city, and that each in effect created his own experience based on his outlook on life in general.
This is true of all of us, really. We bring so much of ourselves into each situation, that we color what we see and experience by our own baggage - whether positive or negative. It is quite possible to go through a very difficult time and still emerge from it clutching a gem of some sort - something we gleaned from the situation and from the midst of our experience with adversity. It is also possible to go through something that is meant to be wonderful and uplifting, and yet only find dreariness and the pressure of others' expectations at the heart of it. We really do create our own reality to a great extent. We have within our hands the ability to shape and fashion our particular experience of life. And so, when the prophet tells us that it is time to prepare the way of the Lord, there is quite a bit that we actually can do in terms of preparing our hearts and minds. We can make the best of what we have and fix things up the best we can so that we are truly ready to welcome the Christ Child on that holy night.
Loving God, will help us find our way out of the desert? Will you help us craft a pathway through the desert that comes upon us through no fault of our own and will you also help us find our way clear of the deserts of our own making. We want so much to be the kind of welcoming people you need us to be and the world needs us to be. Prepare us as we prepare the way. Amen.