I find the word “hope” to be a ubiquitous and lusterless word at Advent. Not the opening line you were expecting, I assume. But can we be honest for a minute about the word? It’s like the word “awesome,” which in its original form meant full of wonder and reverential respect. And then those of us who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s… well, we ruin it. We stripped it of its, well, awe. I’m a guilty party; I confess.
So like the word “hope.” Some of us are facing seemingly insurmountable storms this Advent season. We have prayed prayers too numerous to count and seen no results; we’ve cried out and heard no reply. We are still drowning in grief or loneliness or betrayal or illness or turmoil or all of the above, and we can’t imagine how God will turn it around. Our hope is dwindling, and the incessant reminders of our call to “hope” sting as we see them on every Christmas card and on every shelf of the Christmas aisle at Hobby Lobby. So where can we look for renewed hope in the midst of it all?
I realize that Advent is rarely the time that we find ourselves in the book of Jonah, but stay with me on this. God asked Jonah to serve Him in a very specific way - Go and tell. And Jonah responded with his flesh. He was afraid (and stubborn and a bit self-righteous), so he ran. He got on a boat, the boat faced a storm, Jonah realized he was the cause for the storm, so he let them throw him overboard, and a great fish swallowed Jonah. Cue chapter two:
2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish:
2 “In my great trouble I cried to the Lord and he answered me; from the depths of death I called, and Lord, you heard me! 3 You threw me into the ocean depths; I sank down into the floods of waters and was covered by your wild and stormy waves. 4 Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have rejected me and cast me away. How shall I ever again see your holy Temple?’
5 “I sank beneath the waves, and death was very near. The waters closed above me; the seaweed wrapped itself around my head. 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains that rise from the ocean floor. I was locked out of life and imprisoned in the land of death. But, O Lord my God, you have snatched me from the yawning jaws of death!
7 “When I had lost all hope, I turned my thoughts once more to the Lord. And my earnest prayer went to you in your holy Temple. 8 Those who worship false gods have turned their backs on all the mercies waiting for them from the Lord!
9 “I will never worship anyone but you! For how can I thank you enough for all you have done? I will surely fulfill my promises. For my deliverance comes from the Lord alone.”
10 And the Lord ordered the fish to spit up Jonah on the beach, and it did.
You might need to read that again. I won’t extrapolate on it; the Word of God will be enough for you this day.
Join me in prayer:
At Advent and always, when we lose all hope, may we turn our thoughts once more to You, Lord. May our earnest prayer go into Your holy Temple. And may we never worship anyone but you, Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer, for our deliverance comes only from you. Amen
Angela Carter
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