(And Zechariah said):
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a mighty savior for us
in the house of his child David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors
and has remembered his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
in his presence all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.” ~ Luke 1:68-79
Zechariah has quite a journey. He moves not just from doubt to faith, but to a faith that is one filled with gratitude and insight.
This week is the Advent week of "Prepare," and it is also the week of love. In the midst of Zechariah's song, is the grounding of that love: it tells us where that love comes from.
From the tender mercy of God.
God's love above all is tender and merciful.
As we move through Advent we ask ourselves where those places are in our lives that we can show love that is tender and merciful.
Who are the people we are called to love?
And can we see the tender love our God in our own lives?
The word "tender" is not something that many of us think fits with these times we are in. The world around us looks violent and scary. Fear seems to grip more and more hearts.
And fear perhaps more than anything else is the opposite of love.
"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love." ~ I John 4:18
There it is again. The command not to fear. Fear takes up the space where tender love and mercy are meant to dwell.
There are so many that we seem afraid of these days: refugees; transgender people; Muslims; Jews; those who are black and brown skinned.
Yet the call is to love. Not to fear. To be tender, not violent. To be merciful, not to hate.
So...who is it you are called to love?
You opened Zechariah's heart, Lord. Please open mine as well! Amen
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