Repentance & Roadworks in Aotearoa, New Zealand. December 2019

Matthew 3:1-12

Marie Harvey had a beautiful soprano voice; with the clarity we associate with a boy soprano. Year after year in advent we would hear her lovely clear tones, “On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry announces that the Lord is nigh”. A moment of exquisite beauty. And yet when we look at our text this morning it is less than pretty. It’s downright uncomfortable. Our grubby prophet in the desert wearing a camel’s hair coat - I feel itchy just reading it! And, while Matthew references beautiful poetry from Isaiah, John’s words include confrontation, name-calling and violent images of fire, axes and winnowing forks.

The Baptist’s message is clear “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”.Repentance these days is often a synonym for regret or “saying sorry”. Both the Hebrew and the Greek words translated as repent have the clear meaning of change direction – it’s not an emotion, it’s an action and its very intentional. A turn towards God. 

The measles epidemic has been filling our news lately and the Otago daily times published a cartoon about it which was, at best, in extremely poor taste and deeply offensive. There was a delayed apology from the cartoonist. Was there any indication of a change in his life, a commitment never to mock others’ tragedy again? I didn’t see that – no real repentance – just regret. John’s call is for true repentance, repentance that bears fruit in one’s life. 

John’s message of repentance is because the kingdom of heaven is near; then in the next chapter Jesus goes on to use exactly the same words as he begins his preaching ministry, “REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NEAR”.  The kingdom of heaven is the reign of God and it was coming near with the arrival of Jesus but it’s still not here – not fully, not in our world, not in our lives, not in my life. So, John’s message to repent is not just relevant in advent, this message is an everyday call to us to change, to TURN towards God. 

Isaiah sheds more light for us, with the image of clearing or straightening the road. These days we are surrounded by roadworks; there are some just around the corner from here. Roadworks are messy and smelly – there’s digging, rolling-smooth, hot bitumen then more compression – it sounds undeniably painful to me and repentance is like that. Making changes in our lives is not comfortable at all. 

Roadworks don’t happen by accident; they are planned and intentional. At this time, we are called to take a long, hard look at our lives, ask God where the work is needed and, with God, start that process of change. We as individuals, we as society, we as the church… 

Change may be small like mending a pothole or large like creating a new intersection. Sometimes we need others to point out where we could change – why did I never before see how environmentally unfriendly Christmas wrapping paper is? Now it’s been pointed out - this year it’s decorated brown paper or newspaper wrapping my gifts. A small change for the fifth mark of mission. 

A collect from Bob Warwicker reads in part:

“All power belongs to us, except the power to make peace;

Except that there is an ancient darkness of our hearts

And a rage that steals our sanity.”

I am wearing this orange bracelet daily to mark the 16 days of activism against gender violence. The recent coverage of the Grace Millane murder trial was awful - her personal and sexual history was splashed across the media but her convicted murderer - he retained name suppression. This year 22 WOMEN have been murdered in acts of domestic violence in Aotearoa/NZ. 

John’s call for repentance goes out to the whole country. As Anglicans who are committed to transforming unjust structures, challenging violence and pursuing peace & reconciliation; with #metoo and #timesup still fresh in our ears, we are called to respond, make changes and be a prophetic voice. 

I found this simple song deeply challenging

 “He came singing love and he lived singing love

He died singing love

He arose in silence

For the love to go on we must make it our song

You and I be the singers.”

You and I be the singers. We are the prophetic voice.

Meditating on the five marks of mission is one way of examining our lives this advent, looking for the potholes (large and small). “O God, from whom to turn is to fall, to whom to turn is to rise…”  we pray with Augustine; as, with God’s grace, we respond to the call to repentance and change direction. 

“On Jordan’s Bank” transports us further on that journey, a journey of repentance with the grace of God working in us and in our world. 

Listen in your hearts with me to Marie’s bell-like voice 

“Then cleansed be every life from sin:
make straight the way for God within,
and let us all our hearts prepare
for Christ to come and enter there...

Without your grace, we waste away
like flowers that wither and decay...

 Stretch forth your hand… and fill the world with love divine.”

The Kingdom of God is near 

IT’S TIME TO CHANGE! 

#CHANGEFORGOD

As we pray and work for truth, compassion and justice, near and far – 

Risen Christ, Light of the world,

Shine in our lives this advent

help us become better followers of the Gospel, more courageous in standing up 

for justice and peace, 

help us to be faithful and committed activists, loving and caring for your people and your world. You reign in us, Lord and Saviour.

In the power of the Holy Spirit 

Amen.