Advent 2019, day eleven

A Song of the Wilderness

The wilderness and the dry land shall rejoice,

the desert shall blossom and burst into song.

They shall see the glory of the Lord,

the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weary hands,

and make firm the feeble knees.

Say to the anxious, ‘Be strong, fear not,

your God is coming with judgement,

coming with judgement to save you.’

Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

Then shall the lame leap like a hart,

and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy.

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert;

The ransomed of the Lord shall return with singing,

with everlasting joy upon their heads.

Joy and gladness shall be theirs,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Say to the anxious, ‘Be strong, fear not, your God is coming with judgement, coming with judgement to save you.’

When God comes in judgement, it shall not be to condemn, but to save.

To open our eyes where we are blind to the enough-ness of ourselves, and our neighbour. To unstop our eyes where we have become tone-deaf to the song of our innermost being, and to the cry of our neighbours’ hearts. To work deep physio to torn hamstrings, and to set free the voice of the silenced. To strengthen the weary, and to take up our infirmity.

God’s judgement upon giving you life was and is and will be ‘very good!’