Advent Reflections 2016: Peace
‘You shall be my people, and I shall be your God.’
Jeremiah 30: 22
I was talking to a man the other month, who said that he had undertaken an endevour to read the whole of the Old Testament. Thinking of him reciting all the laws of Deuteronomy, and genealogies in Chronicles, I wished him all the best with that then and agreed I would pray. Several weeks later, I saw him in Costas and I asked him if my prayers had been answered. He laughed and said, “nearly!” He recalled that the purity rituals had nearly finished him off, but after thought and reflection, he felt he could now summarise the Old Testament in one verse of scripture – “You shall be my people, and I shall be your God.”
No matter what we do, how unfaithful we are, the wonder of it is that God still wants to be in relationship with us. Fortunately God does not say, “Get yourself together and we will see if you are worthy.” Rather, over and over again, we are invited into divine relationship with him. We are made for God and God it seems does everything to be in relationship with us. During the season of Advent, we celebrate the mystery of God coming to us and living with us. Leigh on Sea is full of children, so today every time you see a baby or young child, remember how much God wants to be in relationship with you. Amen Rev Julia Advent 2016