Sermon, Second Sunday of Advent: Walk in the Light

‘Lead us O Lord with joy to walk in the light of your glory…
that all flesh may see the salvation of God’.

60 years ago this week Malcolm X, American Civil Rights Activist, spoke at the Oxford Union. A highly controversial figure, he was seen as a revolutionary in his advocacy for violent action. He spoke in favour of the provocative motion: ‘extremism in the defence of liberty is no vice; moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue’. In exposing hypocrisy within societies which preached integration yet practised segregation, his stance was honest and respectful yet shocking in its illustrations and implications – and still relevant today. 

We were not to discover where Malcolm X’s approach would take him, as he was assassinated just a few weeks later while speaking in New York. History tells us that it doesn’t always go well for people who speak out. John the Baptist lost his life; St Paul wrote the letter we heard today while in chains. No-one likes to be exposed, especially those who wield power; it can upset vested interests if crooked roads are made straight. Self-promoting groups do not like to be labelled a ‘brood of vipers’. Yet honesty is a prerequisite for good society, whether in political debate or family life, in the moral responsibility of charities and businesses or in the education of our young. 

It’s also important in religion. I remember Rabbi Lionel Blue saying, “Religion is OK as long as it does not cost you your soul”. The Hebrew prophets had harsh words for the religiosity of those in power who neglected or even abused the most vulnerable in society. Jesus himself reinforced this message, calling out those who loved the places of honour, paid their tithe, yet neglected justice and the compassion of God. We know from recent times that the church of today is not immune from such a state of dishonour, failing to take every reasonable step to ensure that the church is a safe place for all. At the same time, we should avoid pointing the finger too much for we all have blind spots. If we disagree on that point, then we might want to take another look in the mirror.

Advent calls us not just to honesty but to its outworking in ‘true religion’. The prophet Micah offered a definition of true religion: ‘What does the Lord require of you? But to act justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’. Turning up to a church service on a Sunday is only valuable if it makes a difference to the way we are Monday to Saturday. Like the heart expressing itself through our words, so our faith is revealed through the actions we take. John the Baptist called for radical discipleship, symbolised in the waters of baptism: dying to sin, rising to new life. Jesus gave extra definition to true religion in the Beatitudes, indeed the whole of the Sermon on the Mount, which is nothing less than a political manifesto, a way of being and acting according to the virtues of the Kingdom of God. We might like the well-known phrases such as ‘Comfort ye, Comfort ye’ whilst forgetting that ‘comfort’ involves both tough love and challenging call. We should not become too comfortable in the wrong way. The teaching of the Scriptures is revolutionary - and it starts by changing us. After release from 5 years captivity in Beirut, at the hands of Hezbollah, Terry Waite described how he was handed a Bible in his confinement, which he read several times – and said later that he found it very difficult, for ‘it penetrates you with the truth of human nature’. He also amazingly received a postcard, of a stained-glass window with John Bunyan. As well as showing that he was not alone, it was a reminder of the dedication necessary if we are to progress as pilgrims.

So what encouragement can we gain? What is the route to true religion? Let me simply draw your attention to the last verses of the portion of St Paul’s letter that we heard this morning. In prison himself he writes to comfort the young church community in Philippi to stand firm in their witness in the face of persecution. Let’s hear the words again for ourselves: 

‘This is my prayer: that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight, to help you determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God’. (Philippians 1:9-11)

The source of true religion is the love of God. Christian love is not mere sentiment but is rooted in knowledge and depth of insight – in knowing ourselves the mercy of God alongside the justice of God. Understanding personally the sacrificial love of Jesus – and that only through him are we made pure and blameless – this insight begins to transform how we view our neighbour. This is true revolution where we see people not in terms of their colour, sexuality, status or gender but with the dignity of being made in the image of God and worthy of his love. With that underpinning Paul writes, then we will be able to determine what is best – in other words, how to live, how to serve - in his name - how to produce a harvest of righteousness. Where might God be calling you to exercise true religion?

None of this is easy. The transformation of our lives is a lifetime’s journey. Our love of neighbour is not straightforward when we have been hurt and our love is not reciprocated. Paul understands this and prefaces his prayer by saying that he longs for the church with the compassion of Jesus who knows our struggles. We can be confident, as Baruch declares, ‘For God himself will lead his people with joy, in the light of his glory’. Paul concludes that fruit is inevitable for God is with us and remains faithful (even when we waver!). And it will be for the glory and praise of God. So today we hear a call to radical, Christian action – but one based entirely on the compassionate, sacrificial, restorative, life-giving, love of God - so that all flesh will see the salvation of God.