“And a loud voice cried out,
‘Look! God’s dwelling is with mankind! He will dwell with them. They will be His people and He shall be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes and there shall be no more death or mourning, weeping or pain, for the old order has passed away.’
Then the One who sat on the throne said,
‘Behold, I make all things new!’...” (Rev. 21, 3-5)
That’s the text I put on the parish Christmas cards this year. It pretty much summarizes the leitmotif of the preaching that folks heard around here during Advent and Christmas.
One of the most stirring visions in the Old Testament is the sight of the aged Isaiah looking out over the desolate waste that the House of David has become and proclaiming: “Remember not the things of the past!
See, I make everything anew! Even now it springs forth, can you not perceive it?” (Is 43,19)
That there could ever be anything authentically new in this weary, skeptical, repetitive world is the hard core of Christian hope. That this newness spring eternally and under our very noses is the undying message of Advent and Christmas.
“I have learnt to love you late, Beauty at once so ancient and so new!”
Augustine. Timely as always.
Happy New Year, y’all.
