Listen for God

What was God thinking?

The prophecies of Isaiah were 700 years old.

Elizabeth was a bit old to have a child.

Mary was "perplexed" (worried, scared, confused), when the angel Gabriel came to deliver the news.

Joseph quietly planned a divorce.

An angel convinced Joseph that there were bigger plans afoot.

Mary and Joseph traveled on a donkey when she was 9 months pregnant to register to pay taxes.

There was no room in the inn.

The birth took place in a stable.

Poor shepherds working the night shift, were the first recipients of the Good News.

Magi came. On their way they unwittingly, tipped off Herod who wanted to kill Jesus.

Mary and Joseph fled with Jesus to escape the genocide of all children 2 and under.

They were exiled to Egypt for a time.

This doesn't sound like Isaiah when he said in Chapter 40: "…make straight in the desert a highway for our God."

The road was bumpy, treacherous, inconvenient, misunderstandings, frightening angels, unsanitary lodging, rejection, oppression (the census for taxes) and fear that would make your hair stand on end.

What…was…God…thinking…?

God acts in the context of cultural realities.

We are not puppets on a string.

Then there is a word.

"Look. Here is what is happening."

"Don't be afraid."

"Hang in there with her."

"Accept my will."

"Go see Jesus."

"It's time to leave town."

Advent is a time to listen for God interjecting a word into a chaotic and violent world.

Moving to the deeper places,
Jeff