by Liz Young
(Based on Matt 11:2-11; Isa 35:1-10; James 5:7-10)
Taking our lead from our three readings, Isaiah said, “The wilderness and the desert will be glad, and blossom … The way will be made clear … and everlasting joy will be upon their heads.”
James wrote, “Be patient till the coming of the Lord.”
And in the Gospel reading from Matthew, Jesus answered John’s disciples with the words, “Go and tell John what you have heard and seen: ‘the blind receive their sight, the lepers are cleansed and the poor have good news bought to them.'” What joy those miracles brought.
Our candlelight theme for today is Joy, and Isaiah’s words always remind me of the joy brought by the wild flowers that bloom in the Australian desert, when it rains, sometimes after ten years of drought. James asks us to be patient, a reminder appropriate for us all at many times in our lives, patience for God to reveal his purposes; and patience will give us time to reflect before reacting, either in speech or action. And, in the Gospel reading, Jesus tells John’s followers to reassure John, that he, Jesus, John’s cousin, has been able to perform all in God’s Name; to tell him of these miracles he, Jesus, has been able to perform, and in doing so to bring joy to the needy and the poor. Jesus’s first miracle was turning water into wine, an appropriate miracle to remember at this time of celebration! Wine was the disinfectant of that time. (I wonder how many of the local water supplies were safe to drink, unless they were mountain springs. Now, with guaranteed safe drinking water, and as we receive more and more messages of the harm alcohol can do, most of us will be celebrating this season drinking fruit juice or safe water. I wish you joy drinking toasts to each other.)
When I look back at my life, my earliest joyful memory is sitting on a mossy bank at the age of four, just enjoying looking at the grass. The property was a 16th century out reach from Glastonbury Abbey, planted with – among others – a sequoia, a huge bay tree, and a large walnut tree, and gave me a lifelong love of trees. It was a slight shock to come to New Zealand and find I had to learn the names of a hundred new trees.
When my mother died, we were living on a 1¼ acre property, with fifty seventy-year-old apple trees, with a variety of diseases, and as I took over responsibility for looking after the garden, my love of gardening started. Gardening gives many of us hours of joy.
I created a garden from scratch at my next place, with twenty native trees I bought in Wellington, and they now surround and shelter the property.
Our Pat enjoys doing most of the church garden, and our Alison has enjoyed doing the flowers for this morning.
Another of my joys that I share with friends in Tairua is reading. Did you know there are three very social book clubs in Tairua? I didn’t start reading till I was seven, but once I could, my nose was rarely out of a book. Sharing ideas and interests by reading and talking about books is one of the joys of life for those whose brains are visually dominant. Others love music and enjoy listening, and yet others enjoy making things with their hands. When we were young, we enjoyed playing, running around. As I couldn’t hop or skip, I preferred playing soccer with the boys in their playground. Later, when I went to all-girls’ schools, I played goalie. When I was a child no-one stopped us climbing trees. I was horrified when I heard the story of the tree in my grandson’s playground, which was first pruned and then cut down for ‘health and safety reasons’. No, don’t let caution deny exploration; let children enjoy, and joyfully play. If you are constantly warning children of potential hazards, you get anxious children.
These days most of us enjoy daily walks, and at this time of year I enjoy swimming, and there are hardy folks here, who enjoy dawn swimming here all the year round. So, as well as daily exercise, try something new regularly, and share enjoyment with others, all the while praising God – silently or aloud – and always giving thanks.
At Christmas time we celebrate the birth of Christ. I’ve attended about 500 births, as a paediatrician, and each time it was very special. The whole room hums with joyous energy as the baby is born.
And, as we celebrate Christ’s birth, let us spare a moment to think of, and pray for, all those women who are worried about giving birth at this time; those pregnant as a result of rape; those mothers in dire economic circumstances. Pray that someone will step up and help them.
And, having prayed for others, let’s return to thinking about Joy. And the joy of giving … we all enjoy giving pleasure to others. Let’s hope we’ve all chosen well and that our gifts will be enjoyed by their recipients. I hope that our children and grandchildren will have a day of joy and wonder. While remembering we’re celebrating Christ’s birth, we will continue to ask ourselves, what can we do to bring joy into the lives of others.
Amen
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