Pictures of Peace: Advent 3 - Isaiah 35:1-10
Marie Kondo has become a household name in many places over the last year or two. Marie is an organising consultant and author who gained recent fame through her books and TV show teaching people all around the world how to store their consumer items and how to create minimalist spaces free of clutter.
On her website she says: “the goal of tidying is to make room for meaningful objects, people, and experiences” and “our goal is to help more people live a life that sparks joy.”
Sounds pretty good, I guess.
When it comes to tidying up, I like some of Marie Kondo’s ideas about storage and being tidy. I like her ideas of minimalism. In a world of so many cheap and disposable items, having what we need rather than loads of junk around the house seems like a good idea. Her ideas about being thoughtful about what we buy and keep is helpful in a world where we have often been taught that more is better.
However, what makes me feel uncomfortable about Marie and her philosophy is its religious tone, as if tidying up our house will meet our deepest existential needs.
Marie’s method of tidying up is this – she suggest people gaze at an object, holding it in their hands and ask the question: “Does this spark joy?” If it does, keep it. If not, get rid of it.
But this definition of joy doesn’t square with the kind of joy we heard about in today’s reading.
In many ways I think Marie’s question undermines the word itself.
“Does this item spark happiness?” might be a more accurate question.
Because joy and happiness are very different. Henri Nouwen helpfully points out the difference for us in his work
"Joy is not the same as happiness. We can be unhappy about many things, but joy can still be there because it comes from the knowledge of God's love for us. We are inclined to think that when we are sad, we cannot be glad, but in the life of a God-centered person, sorrow and joy can exist together. That isn't easy to understand, but when we think about some of our deepest life experiences, such as being present at the birth of a child or the death of a friend, great sorrow and great joy are often seen to be parts of the same experience. Often, we discover the joy in the midst of the sorrow. I remember the most painful times of my life as times in which I became aware of a spiritual reality much larger than myself, a reality that allowed me to live the pain with hope. I dare even to say: 'My grief was a place where I found joy.' (Henri Nouwen)
Marie’s understanding of joy can only really exist because we live in a society of consumers.
At this time of year more than any other we are aware of the power of consumerism – it’s lure and pull in our lives.
We all consume stuff, and of course there is nothing wrong with this. At Christmas time we eat food, we give gifts, and we celebrate abundantly. Jesus turned water into wine at parties, he ate at banquets and was generous in his approach with people.
But consumerism is another thing, it is an ideology. “A society of consumers is one in which the act of consuming has become a philosophical basis for life.”[1]
Sociologist, Zygmunt Bauman comments on our society of consumers saying this:
“The value most characteristic of the society of consumers, indeed its supreme value in relation to which all other values are called to justify their worth, is a happy life; indeed, the society of consumers is perhaps the only society in human history to promise happiness in earthly life, and happiness here and now and in very successive “now;” in short, an instant and perpetual happiness.”
Happiness is the new goal of human life in the vision that consumerism offers.
But of course, as we know happiness comes and goes doesn’t it?
That is why consumerism as an ideology never satisfies. The new dress becomes worn and faded, the latest tech becomes outdated, what once sparks so called joy fails to delight once the dust gathers.
The message of a secular Christmas is that Santa is coming bearing gifts and tidings of happiness.
But the message of Christmas that Isaiah comes preaching is that God is coming, and never mind happiness, God is bearing tidings of joy.
The kind of joy that will make you leap like a deer and sing like you are in the shower and no one is listening.
Images from Isaiah
Over the past few weeks we have been looking at “pictures of peace” from our advent readings in Isaiah. Today in Isaiah 35 we see again a stunning image that looks forward to a day when God’s kingdom comes.
Chapter 34 of Isaiah is bleak by contrast. It is full of images of destruction and devastation. Chapter 34 speaks of the judgement of God upon wickedness.
Though this is harsh in tone, it is good news for the oppressed. God’s judgment is the form that God’s mercy takes in a world that needs to be set to right. God will not leave the weary world broken, rather Isaiah reminds us that God comes to a weary world to fix it.
The very fist image of Isaiah 35 is vivid. The dry wilderness desert shall blossom! This picture is one of renewal and refreshment. (slide)
We are told that the desert shall rejoice, and here we are introduced to the theme of joy and rejoicing in this chapter. It pops up several times.
The dry land shall be glad, the desert rejoice, it shall blossom and rejoice with joy and singing….the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy…the ransomed will return to Zion with singing and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness.
Joy is a powerful word here.
It isn’t used lightly.
Joy comes to God’s people when they experience being redeemed and ransomed by God as verse 9 and 10 put it.
In the context of when Isaiah was writing, the term “redeemed” was used when a person delivered a blood relative from some obligation (legal, financial, social),
The term “ransom” comes from the legal practice of making a payment to deliver someone from a debt, obligation, or punishment.
In both these images, to be redeemed and ransomed emphasizes God’s divine grace in saving his people.
Isaiah 35 paints a picture of hope for the future. When God’s kingdom comes that which is broken will be fixed, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap.
Joy fulfilled in Jesus
These prophecies point forward to a day in which God will act decisively in the world. With the benefit of hindsight we can see that what Isaiah predicted began to break in to the world with the ministry of Jesus.
Through the gospels we see Jesus enacting this beautiful vision of hope. There are numerous stories in the gospels of Jesus healing the blind, healing the deaf, and the lame.
Jesus when he comes casts light into the dark, bringing glimpses of hope to those whom he ministers to.
Advent is a season in which we remember that one day Jesus will come again and the people of God will experience everlasting joy, that one day God’s kingdom will come in all its fullness.
At the heart of the Christian faith is believing God’s promise that this will happen and letting this promise of the future shape our present living.
If we let Isaiah shape our imagination it will indeed bring joy.
A call to embrace Joy
Isaiah speaks of joy, yes, but Isaiah is also a call to rejoice.
Joy isn’t simply a passive description here in Isaiah, rather rejoicing is a verb – something we do.
In Philippians 4:4 Paul says “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”
Henri Nouwen – “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. It is a choice based on the knowledge that we belong to God and have found in God our refuge and our safety and that nothing, not even death, can take God away from us."
I love that.
I think that this kind of joy is what Isaiah was talking about. A resolute commitment to believe God’s promises for the future and to let that sink deep into our bones giving us a deep gladness.
I think this is the kind of joy our world needs.
In a world of cheap promises – “buy this and be happy” we need something that goes deeper and addresses the longing and need of our souls.
Isaiah knows that the world needs this message of joy.
A ministry of joy
That is why in verses 3 and 4 Isaiah gives us a command seemingly out of nowhere.
Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.”
Isaiah knows that this message of joy and hope in God is what the world needs and so he commands God’s people to minister to the world.
Again Isaiah uses vivid imagery: weak hands and feeble knees. One commentator says this image in Hebrew has a similar connotation to the English expression of “throwing hands in the air” in desperation.
The people of God are called to strengthen those who have thrown their hands up in despair and given up.
This is our ministry.
To the poor who feel dejected and ignored, the lonely who feel that no once cares, those who are broken in any way – mentally, physically, spiritually – God’s people are called to strengthen them.
The people of God are also called to minister to those who are of a fearful heart.
There are plenty of those too right?
Fear is a natural feeling in response to lots of experiences.
We have survival instincts in us that teach us to fear heights, poisonous snakes and generally anything that could eat us. This is perfectly normal.
There are lots of things to be afraid of.
Some academics, theologians and sociologists have suggested that today in our media saturated culture with global news that reminds us of all the multiple ways things could potentially go wrong that we live in “a culture of fear.”
This culture of fear is a culture in which we fear excessively, or we fear the wrong things. This makes it impossible to truly live freely and to live meaningful lives.
One theologian, Scott Bader-Saye says this:
“It’s no secret that fear motivates people. Every time an advertiser urges us to buy a product or risk being ______ (fill in the blank: uncool, unsafe, unwanted), our fears are being aggravated and manipulated. Every time religious leaders use threats of hell to make others believe or obey, they are using fear to manipulate their listeners. Unfortunately, the news media has been at the forefront of fear-mongering—overemphasizing shocking and frightening stories to gain an audience and boost ratings.”
In a world so full of fear, Isaiah gives a command to God’s people – “Say to those of a fearful heart, “be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”
Isaiah encourages the people of God to speak out that God is coming to judge and save.
Isaiah’s peaceful and hopeful vision is one shapes the ministry of God’s people.
As we head into Christmas these words of Isaiah are a powerful remind of our call to minister to our world with the joy of the good news of Jesus.
This morning my hope and prayer is that these words of Isaiah will minister to each of us. If we feel ready to throw our hands in the air in desperation or frustration with where we find ourselves let us see the vision of Isaiah with its hope of everlasting joy.
If we find ourselves afraid, may the good news give us courage.
And as God ministers to us through these words may we minister to others with the joy he pours into our hearts this Christmas. Amen.
[1] Colin Campbell “I shop therefore I know that I am: the metaphysical basis of
Modern consumerism,” in Elusive Consumption, ed. Karin M. Ekstrom and Helene Brembeck (Oxford: Berg, 2004), 41-42.