The prophecy in Isaiah is so fitting for the Advent season. The imagery the lines evoke are of a fair and just world with love for each other. What a wonderful world it would be if only the wolf was the guest of the lamb, the leopard and kid sat next to each other, the lion was eating hay like the ox and the baby could safely play in the cobra’s den.
But that is not the world in which we live. We, unfortunately, live in a world where generational, deep-seated hatred and random violence heaped upon each other defy comprehension.
During this wonderful time of the year, how do we focus on the positive images of hope expressed in Isaiah and not let our minds be sidetracked by the negative images and stories with which we are continually confronted?
One answer may lie in patiently working to strengthen our faith and our prayer life. Keep in mind that Isaiah’s prophecy, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit,” is sometimes called the Christmas Promise, was made more than 600 years before the birth of Christ. In those six-plus centuries, it is easy to understand how the faith of many ebbed, they lost patience, and felt that God had forsaken them and that his promises would not come true.
But now, with the promise of Isaiah fulfilled, we have a Savior who will forgive our endless sins and offer anew the hope of eternal life. If we listen to him with our heart, soul and mind, it will remind us that the greatest gift we can give this Christmas is the gift of love.
As we journey through this Advent season, let us not only enjoy the miracle of Christ’s birth, but patiently listen to what God is telling us. Whether from the pulpit, our daily reflections, prayer, or our myriad experiences as we interact with others, let us strive to discern how is God revealing his love for us and how are we responding to it.
Are we living as Christ would want us to, unselfish in how we treat those less fortunate, merciful in our judgments about the actions of others, forgiving the wrongs we suffer? If the foundation of our faith is built on God’s love for us, then these things should come easily. If they don’t, then we need to remember this Advent season that “There are three things that will endure; faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
Steve Scholer
I came to Creighton to attend law school in 1976 and following 5 years of private practice I started what I thought would be a 4 year job to help Fr. James Hoff, S.J. raise funds for the Campaign for Creighton. Little did I know that the many wonderful people I would soon meet, both here on campus and across the entire country, over the next few years would lead me to stay and continue to support the mission of this University. My wife is a Creighton graduate and our son, Frank, is a Xavier undergraduate and Creighton law graduate. Our daughter, Paige, has both her undergraduate and master’s degree from Creighton.
I do not participate in social media websites so posting my personal interpretation about what the readings mean to me is a novel experience for me. However, being required to put pen to paper forced me to become more reflective about what God is really trying to say to me and this has helped me in my daily prayer life - to slow down and let the Word of God dwell within me instead of racing through the daily devotions.
