Through Stained Glass: Advent--declare

This was the photo I took for the word declare.

It is from the Jack & Jill bathroom on the second floor of my house.

What do you see in this photo?

I’m willing to bet that most of you…okay, some of you…saw not only a beautiful sunrise but also a filthy window.

Those designs—they almost prevented me from posting this photo.

What a great shot of the sun breaking through the naked tree branches, but bro, do you need some Windex for Christmas or what?

Embarrassing.

Ugh.

In fact I almost cleaned the window so I could retake the photo.

Subsequently the shot would be clearer, the sun’s rays more brilliant, and the inspiration improved. Also the fear of being judged would be less as well.

But I didn’t.

I didn’t clean my window to set up the perfect shot.

I didn’t clean my window to appear as if all my windows are that spotless.

I didn’t do anything except acknowledge that I have dirty windows.

And yet, on the other side of that dirty window, the sun still rose and the light still made its way in.

Sure as the morning sun, so is the certainty of God’s love for us. We need not be perfect, we need not have all the dust bunnies vacuumed, we need not have all the dishes done, we need not have our act together, for God’s grace and mercy to come to us.

Listen friends, what Advent is about, is this:  God never tires of forgiving us. Daily God declares love to us—God sends forth goodness to us—God, Emmanuel, makes God’s way to us…always.

The mystery of our faith as Christians is this:  Christ has died, Christ was risen, Christ will come again….like a thief in the night. Yes we are to be ready. But I don’t think Jesus meant we should spend time washing windows and baking pies. Perhaps Christ wants us to get ready by accepting and loving, inviting and including, welcoming and embracing everybody no matter their story.

The psalmist declares in Psalm 96:1-3:

96 1 Oh sing unto Jehovah a new song: Sing unto Jehovah, all the earth.

2 Sing unto Jehovah, bless his name; Show forth his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare God’s glory among the nations, God’s marvelous works among all the peoples.

The sunrise declares a new day. The light declares a fresh start. The illumination of the world declares our turn to illumine the Word with our words and our lives:  God loves you just as God loves me—exactly as I am. No more. No less.

Dirty windows and all…