In this Sunday's readings for Advent 2, we have the prophetic words of Isaiah telling the people to prepare a way for God, to make ready a highway for God's coming. These are words of comfort for a people who have been in exile for 150 years. These are words of reassurance; God is breaking into the world to bring mercy and reconciliation to God's chosen. According to Isaiah, when God makes God-self known to the people, life will be renewed and restored--uneven ground will become level. I have to imagine being among those first listeners of Isaiah; having spent a life outside of the Promised Land, being persecuted and oppressed by foreigners...these words given by Isaiah would have been words of hope for the future.
Mark's gospel opens not with the nativity scenes of Luke and Matthew, but with the words 'the beginning of the Good News'. The Greek word 'evangelion' from which we get 'evangelist' and 'evangelism' means 'good news'. Mark is an evangelist announcing that God is doing something new and creative. No longer will God's people be persecuted and oppressed, but instead reconciled, loved and redeemed. In Mark's gospel, John is the one who has been sent to call out to us to prepare the way for God. John is saying "Pay attention! God is breaking into the world!" All the prophets before John called the people to repent and wait for the Kingdom of God to come near. But here is John, pointing us to Jesus--God incarnate--and telling us not to repent and wait, but repent and participate!
Whether you pay attention to Isaiah or John, the message is the same. Pay attention, be prepared, God is up to something new. If we consider the settings in which these two Biblical texts were composed, we'd find that there is a Messianic hope. A hope in a leader that will bring people into a new life; a life that is filled with joy, mercy, and love. It was a hope for peace and wellbeing. It was a hope for shalom--the deep peace that only God can provide. And while Jesus is the fulfillment of that Messianic hope, we find ourselves still waiting. That is what Advent is about. It's about watching, waiting and preparing for God to come into the world and into our lives. It's about listening for the proclamation of the Good News. It's about recognizing that the Kingdom of God is both now and not yet.
When we are called to prepare the way for God, we are called to take those bumpy roads. We are called to go where we are uncomfortable and vulnerable. Maybe that means taking on a new ministry with the homeless or sick. Maybe that means extending your hand in peace with someone you don't particularly like. Maybe that means slowing down enough to recognize that you are the one in need of healing. Yes, life is a highway, and it is our job to prepare it for God. It doesn't mean it has to be perfect and without potholes...it just has to be available. We have to be available. We have to be prepared.