Advent 2…Seeking Shalom

The author of Psalm 22 stands in Jerusalem, the city that belongs to the LORD, the city which signifies the presence of the kingdom of God. Recognizing life in the kingdom of God inspires a response. Verses 8-9 pull us from a position of lauding our privilege as God's people and place us squarely where we belong...in the service of that kingdom.

For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, "Peace be with you."                          For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.  

This peace, shalom, stretches far beyond the lack of conflict. It encompasses the health and wholeness of every person in every place and time. Yesterday in worship we were challenged to live as if the kingdom was already fully realized. The author of Psalm 122 stands within the gates of Jerusalem and does just that; he or she lives like the kingdom of God is fully here.

For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, "Peace be with you."                          For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.   

"I will seek your good." It is not enough to imagine the good that would come from living that reality. We are called to live there. It is a dangerous place to live; it may require our lives. In fact, it will require our lives.
How do we do this? What enables us to live in this way that requires this unimaginable risk? Psalm 40 answers the question:

As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me.                                 You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God.

The advent, the beginning, of the kingdom of God on earth begins with our realization that the Lord takes thought of us. The kingdom comes when, by the power of the Spirit, we enact the Psalmist's promise: "for the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good."

The simple is always the most difficult. Live like this…"I will seek your good."