Going through old magazines, I found the December 2010 issue of Sojourners magazine that is devoted to “faith in action for social justice.” It had the article, “Advent in a Crumbling Empire” written by Catholic worker Shelley Douglass who lived and worked at Mary’s House in Birmingham, Alabama, providing emergency safe shelter for families, among other things.
She concluded that the real Advent message “isn’t pretty, but it is powerful.” She highlighted the little read or quoted prophet Nahum (meaning comfort). Occupying just two pages of the Old Testament, Nahum wrote just before the fall of Nineveh in 612 B.C. – the hated city of the Assyrian empire.
Douglass wrote: “…His message is simple and direct: Be comforted – the powers of this world stand under judgment. God hears the cry of the poor. In Advent, Christians remember that God not only heard the cries of the poor, but God was born one of the oppressed. Like Nahum, and all the greater prophets, Jesus lived among suffering people. This was not God enthroned, listening from a distance to wails of suffering. No, God-with-us was with the wailing crowds, healing, comforting – and challenging. God took on flesh and lived in this dirty, lovely world. God cares profoundly about what happens to every human, every sparrow, every shrimp, and sea worm. This is our hope.
Hope is not optimism. Advent hope, Nahum’s hope, is not the belief that everything will work out for us if we just believe. Advent hope, Nahum’s hope, is that power of the empire will be overthrown and the poor will be able to live their lives in peace and plenty.
Advent hope is not that a pretty baby will appear in the manger and sales will rise and the economy will resurrect. Advent hope is that empire will fall: all empires, with their idolatry, their gluttony, their pollution, their wars, their intrigue, their murder, and their weapons. Advent hope is that we will transform our minds – which will then require us to transform our world. Advent hope is that our own empire will fall, and our own idolatry will cease…and we will offer our lives in love for others.”
With our political arena now being one filled with anger, hatred, lies, and bitterness with our nation being terribly divided, one wonders about the common good that used to be so important for America. One wonders about crumbling empires.
This Advent we remember that before we can transform the world, we must transform ourselves into a peaceful people instead of continuing like Assyrians.
Read the Book of Nahum.
Deacon David Pierce
She concluded that the real Advent message “isn’t pretty, but it is powerful.” She highlighted the little read or quoted prophet Nahum (meaning comfort). Occupying just two pages of the Old Testament, Nahum wrote just before the fall of Nineveh in 612 B.C. – the hated city of the Assyrian empire.
Hope is not optimism. Advent hope, Nahum’s hope, is not the belief that everything will work out for us if we just believe. Advent hope, Nahum’s hope, is that power of the empire will be overthrown and the poor will be able to live their lives in peace and plenty.
Advent hope is not that a pretty baby will appear in the manger and sales will rise and the economy will resurrect. Advent hope is that empire will fall: all empires, with their idolatry, their gluttony, their pollution, their wars, their intrigue, their murder, and their weapons. Advent hope is that we will transform our minds – which will then require us to transform our world. Advent hope is that our own empire will fall, and our own idolatry will cease…and we will offer our lives in love for others.”
With our political arena now being one filled with anger, hatred, lies, and bitterness with our nation being terribly divided, one wonders about the common good that used to be so important for America. One wonders about crumbling empires.
This Advent we remember that before we can transform the world, we must transform ourselves into a peaceful people instead of continuing like Assyrians.
Read the Book of Nahum.
Deacon David Pierce
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