Advent Reflection 08

An Advent reflection by Alastair Wheeler.

Read

Malachi 3:1 See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 

Reflect

It had all gone a bit flat. Life in Jerusalem around 420 BC, back from exile in Babylon, with a rebuilt Temple where the gold dome stands today, had been billed as an amazing new start.  Freedom. Power. Riches. God.

But actually it was hard work, and a bit of a let down. 

So the prophet Malachi speaks of a “messenger” whose arrival means that the promises will soon come true. 

Even so, it was over four hundred years later that John the Baptist fulfilled the role, to prepare the people of Israel to meet their coming King, Jesus.

Pray

Pray for those who seek to bring realistic hope, and the news of God’s constant love, to our communities and our world.

Act

Be aware of those around you who may be feeling down, or flat. What can you say or do to bring a lift in their spirits?

Alastair Wheeler

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