Advent Joy Interrupts Reigns of Terror
Joy comes to the world not in a single, triumphant finale, but in the midst of one terrible ruler’s reign.
In the texts that we read for Advent services in church this year, the story comes from Matthew’s Gospel. The Bible tells Jesus’ story in four Gospels – each offering its own angle on the coming of the Christ. For Matthew, historical context is important. “During the time of King Herod…” his text says, setting the nonviolent coming of God to heal all that’s broken in the particular context of one authoritarian regime.
Joy comes to the world not in a single, triumphant finale, but in the midst of one terrible ruler’s reign. The Advent we await happened in a moment like our own.
Christmas pageants where children dress up as shepherds and angels, sheep and donkeys, are based mostly on Luke’s version of the story. They highlight how poor farmworkers heard the angels sing, understood that “peace on earth, good will toward all people” was the good news they’d been waiting for, and rushed to meet the Christ child in a humble stable.
But Matthew’s story zooms in on characters we don’t ask our children to dress up as – an autocrat and the professionals who work to prop up his regime. They are the clergy and lawyers who get paid to advise the king. Supporting them - even if just off stage - are administrative staff, doctors, architects, soldiers, journalists, accountants. Then, as now, a regime didn’t run itself. It took a lot of people cooperating with Herod for him to carry out the mass murder of every child under two years old in Bethlehem.
Advent has something to say to professionals living in a time of authoritarianism. The God who chooses to take on flesh and be born in a manger challenges every abuse of power; this same Advent also calls each of us to ask how we might use the knowledge and power we have to protect the innocent, serve the most vulnerable, and bring justice here on earth.
The hymn writer Isaac Watts concluded his celebration of Advent’s joy by writing:
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love.
To know the joy of this season is to know its power to “make the nations prove” the justice, love, and mercy of God’s politics. It is to receive a public theology that makes political demands of us as citizens.
Our video for this week is a conversation moderated by Kenneth Townsend, who is the Executive Director of Leadership and Character in the Professional Schools at Wake Forrest University. Ken thinks every day about how moral values are lived out in the professions – and what particular challenges professionals face in their work right now. Joining him for this conversation: Eugene Nam, an attorney at Everytown Law; Karissa Thacker, an organizational psychologist at Columbia University; and Ben Tolchin, a doctor at Yale Medical School. Early in their conversation, Eugene shares a recent experience as an immigration attorney and asks, “What does legal advocacy look like in an era when the rule of law is being so thoroughly denigrated?”
If Herod cannot abuse power without the complicity of professionals, then what does professional ethics demand of each of us in a time of authoritarianism? We hope you’ll take time to listen to this conversation and consider the discussion questions below, either in-person with people in your community or in the comments section of this post.
Discussion questions:
1. How do you name your own sphere of influence – as a citizen, a professional, or a member of your community?
2. If a regime cannot abuse power without the cooperation of professionals, where have you seen examples of faithful examples of non-cooperation by people within their profession?
3. What do you think it would look like for your nation to prove the wonders of God’s love that are celebrated in Advent?
4. What kind of support do you need to live out your own moral values in your daily life?
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For our live conversation this week, we were glad to talk with Bill McKibben. Bill is a journalist who has taken the moral commitments of his faith seriously by devoting himself to telling the truth about the climate crisis. Since publishing The End of Nature 35 years ago, Bill has been a leading voice on one of the most pressing moral issues of our time. He founded the climate campaign 350.org and has more recently launched an organization called Third Act, dedicated to organizing older Americans to defend democracy and our climate.
Really appreciate you pointing out the political bad actors and thugs who litter the Advent stories from the gospels. The gospel writers, as you point out, wanted us to pay attention, and go the complete opposite direction.
Jesus completely redefines power, from his lineage on.
We need reminders of how powerful people can change the narrative & fool us. Thankfully there are prophets in our day like you, Rev Barber - & your Staff. The guidance you give is invaluable. Thank you.