ADVENT WEEK ONEDecember 1, 2020Now to ThenMicah 4:6-13In that day, says the Lord, I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away, and those whom I have afflicted. Micah 4:6There is no new normal. There is now and there is then. Now is really hard, especially for people in our world who already had it hard. And while we distress over the challenges of our now, this is not new.Today’s scripture is about one of those times. The prophet speaks hope to the ancient peoples whose lives were turned upside down because the part of the world where they lived was undergoing radical change and their political leaders were making things worse. This is not new.The actions of the political leaders made it especially hard for those who were barely getting by before the heaping on of the additional troubles. The prophet’s words were meant to help those just hanging on to have hope, even while they suffer. This is not new.Moving from the now of suffering to the then of hope isn’t new either. It’s a frequently repeated story in our faith’s scriptures.The prophet’s words do not take away, deny, or otherwise disparage suffering but rather point to the promise of God’s liberation for those most in need. These words of hope are meaningful because the speaker acknowledges the pain happening now, especially for the lame, driven away, and dispossessed.May we embrace the pain and suffering in our world this Advent as we prepare for the arrival of the one who comes to liberate all.Kurt GwartneySenior Director of Communications Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.