Sunday, November 30, 2014

First Sunday of Advent 2014 (Year B)

More important than anything I have to say about this Sunday is Austin Channing's No. Read that if you read anything.

The verse that stuck out to me from this week's readings was
Isaiah 64:6:
We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
I always like reminders that we are all imperfect (because of course, we are all imperfect), but this seems particularly important on a day when I heard of pulpits preaching that Mike Brown's death was due to his sin. Who hasn't? (Presumably these sermons are an attempt to accept or justify the lack of a grand jury indictment for Darren Wilson.)

Isaiah goes on to ask the lord to remember and forgive us. Remember that we are weak and forgive us for our weaknesses. He doesn't say, oh, forget what we did and forgive us. I think there is an implication for restorative justice there that I can't pinpoint. But noting and paying attention is important too, which perhaps is why this week's readings end with Mark's exonerations to keep paying attention.