Advent-What Is Within Us?

Advent-What Is Within Us? 

The relevant question for us today is this: What gift of God are we carrying? What gift  is growing within us  to  be nourished and birthed? What gift are we carrying within us to released into this world? When John the Baptist and Jesus were born, they were born into a troubled world. A world that included the violence of war, genocide, poverty, sickness, exploitation and marginalization. 

It comes as no surprise that in the modern day context of our world, we still have the same social sin that plagues our existence, violence war, genocide, poverty, sickness, exploitation and marginalization, corruption, political confusion and environmental turmoil. 

The good news is that  we also have received and are carrying gifts that are growing within us to be released into our communities for the betterment of humanity. 

During this Advent season take time to discover, and explore the gifts within. Is it the gift  of love? Has God placed a growing capacity to love within you?  Perhaps a love for God, love for your neighbor and love for yourself. I have a feeling that  God is  nurturing and growing the gift of love in your heart. 

Or perhaps within you is the growing gifts of compassion, 

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. 

Maybe you feel gifted to embrace the call  to social justice, environmental justice, food justice, helping the elderly or mentoring our youth. 

My point today is that we all must be attentive to what is growing within us, and not ignore what is burning within our hearts. I pray that we are  led by the grace of God to the appropriate response. A response that acknowledges, receives, nurtures and shares the gifts we have been given with those in our communities. Amen 

May God prosper you according to His divine will and purpose.

Rev. Jay Stuart Glover