Reading the prophet Isaiah can be grim. Today he reminds us about the bad things that happen in this world that sometimes give us the feeling that God has forsaken us. We can all relate to one or more of them. Imagine the pain of a woman who longs for children but cannot conceive or a woman who has been deserted by her husband because she did not conceive. Imagine the suffering of a widow or a wife cast off for another woman. Consider the shame we feel when we think of all the things we did when we were young that we hope no one remembers. And reflect on the fear we experience when the mountains and hills are shaken by earthquakes. But Isaiah also reminds us that in the midst of all that frightens, grieves, and shames us, God comes to remind us that God’s love will never leave us. That should cause us to raise a glad cry and to break forth in jubilant song as Isaiah exhorts us to do.
In other words, it is better that we learn to focus on what God does for us than try to explain why bad things happen. The Psalm for today reminds us that the Lord helps us get through the bad times. The Lord rescues us from despair. The Lord even rescues us from God’s brief moments of anger. And the Lord helps us through our periods of grief and mourning. God’s enduring love transforms all this into dancing if we only ask for help.
This is the message of John the Baptist. Acknowledge the righteousness of God. It is at hand. And so, at this time of the year, we repent, or turn around, so we can see where God is at work in our lives instead of when we feel abandoned.
As I prepare for Christ’s coming into my life anew this Advent season, I find it helpful to briefly reflect on all the times I thought that God had forsaken me. There was pain and suffering, but in the larger scheme of things, I have an overwhelming sense of God’s great tenderness for me. I feel like I have been rescued many times. I could write a country western song entitled: “I’ve been rescued again, thank God Almighty, I’ve been rescued again.” Some would call that a naïve optimism or maybe a sign of good mental health. Others would say that I am just lucky. So I am careful when I share my faith because there are folks who seem to be born pessimists or skeptics. They are always crying for help but they either don’t recognize it or they reject help when it arrives. But people of faith believe that help is always on the way. During the Advent season, the best gift we can give, I believe, is a witness to our faith in the Lord of enduring Love. It is a time to break forth in jubilant praise of the Lord who has pity on us and rescues us.
Thank God Almighty, we’ve been rescued again!
Barbara Dilly
I came to Creighton in 2000 and retired in 2020. My twenty years of teaching, research and service in the Jesuit tradition enhanced my own life. It was an exciting time of celebration. I loved teaching and interacting with Creighton students because they responded so eagerly to the Ignatian pedagogical emphasis on the development of the whole person. It is this spirit of whole person development and celebration of life that I hope to infuse in my reflection writings.
My academic background is eclectic, preparing me well for the Liberal Arts academic environment at Creighton. I earned my BA in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA in 1988 and my Ph.D. in Comparative Cultures from the University of California, Irvine in 1994. My research focused on rural communities in the American Midwest, Latin America, and Australia. I taught Environmental Anthropology, Qualitative Research Methods, Social and Cultural Theory, and Food Studies courses.
I retired to Shell Rock, a small rural community in Northeast Iowa where I enjoy gardening, cooking, quilting, driving my 65 Impala convertible an my 49 Willys Jeepster. I have lots of fun playing my guitars with friends from the Cedar Valley Acoustic Guitar Association. But most importantly, I am still working to make my community and rural America a better place. I host a community quilt studio and serve on the Mission Board of my church. I also serve as the Climate Committee Chair and on the Executive Board of the Center for Rural Affairs.
