Contrast

Thursday of the Second Week of Advent

Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him,
and he will bring it to pass.
Psalm 37:5

As I start my drive the audio in my car begins to play random tunes. I didn’t realize I had it set to shuffle, but I decide to let it be. First it is U2, then Bach then Adele, next Vivaldi. I muse about this strange juxtaposition.

And then it is Jesus Christ Super Star. I am struck by how odd it is to be listening to a story about the way to the cross as I am headed toward Christmas. Certainly, hearing Judas sing about his doubts concerning Jesus is a stark contrast to the Christmas carols blaring all around me these days.

But then I realize the invitation is the same, then and now, headed to the cross or headed to the manger. It is the call for commitment to a way that holds mystery. A call to place my trust in One who is beyond my ability to grasp and who nevertheless holds me fast.

The Advent way is a way of contrast, full of the unexpected, suffused with the holy.



Image by Florian Kurz from Pixabay