The Advert of Hope and the Birth of Jesus PART 3 “What an Echo Sounds Like”

Just when we’re wrapping up plans for a nice comfortable Christmas the sound of a loud voice interrupts everything. John comes around this time every year to preach the same message. He’s never happy. It’s always the same sermon:

John has one message – repent.

One volume – loud.

One emotion – anger.

We prefer the softer side of Christmas. We want our faith to help us become more content, to better enjoy our lives, ease our burdens, and be at peace. In that regard, John’s not very helpful.

John has what every person of faith in the Bible has. Holy Discontent. He’s not satisfied. He sees the real problems of the world. It keeps him up at night. It drives him out into the wilderness. It makes him scream at the top of his lungs. Every movement of God, every act of mercy, every call for justice, begins with Holy Discontent.

If you are reasonably content with the world as it is, if your life is manageable and you’re not too troubled by the state of the world, don’t feel too much of your neighbor’s pain, have never lost your way and wandered off the beaten path, maybe you don’t need John’s sermon.

On the other hand, if God has blessed you with some holy discontent, if you expect that this world, as good as it often is, is not as good as it could get, if you find it difficult to sleep at night because there are so many people hurting; if there are things that make you so angry you can’t turn away and you can’t remain silent, then maybe John’s message is what you long to hear.