4th Sunday in Advent
Micah 5:2-5a (NRSV)
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.
Reflection
Henry had recently retired. He worked a life as a welder. Throughout Henry's career, he welded everything from pressure vessels, to superstructures, to aviation parts, to large piping. Henry knew all there was about welding. He could also create wonderful works of art by welding scrap metal together. Once Henry retired he kept on welding such wonderful artwork that sold quickly at art shows.
Henry spent hours teaching his son how to weld. He passed all of his skill on to his son, Paul, so that this skill would not be lost in time. Paul took over the welding trade from Henry. This skill and trade passed from generation to generation, but as it passed the skill of the next welder in line was always increasingly compromised from the last. Before you know it, years later, the welding skill was lost by Henry's descendants.
It was sad to see that creative ability of Henry lost to time like this. No one cared to carry on Henry's skill into the future. But, then came, Steve. Steve picked up a piece of art that Henry had made hundreds of years ago and admired the work. Steve even looked into the history of how Henry was raised and how he lived his life and how Henry became a welder. Steve studied very hard and practiced every day as a youth the skills of welding.
Steve attended a trade school to learn welding and before you know it, Steve was working as a welder and creating works of art just like his ancestor Henry used to do. The trade was back in the blood of Henry's family. I'm sure Henry would be elated to know this if he were alive today.
Years passed after Steve lived his life and died and the welding trade left the family once again. The trade was ridiculed in the family as an ignorant trade of one less educated. In fact the future generations just kept away from anything to do with welding at all. Not only was the trade lost but the skill was lost as well. The future of welding in Henry's family seemed to be gone forever.
Steve's son, Michael, noticed that the trade would be lost in the generations to come. For some reason Michael predicted that years from now, several generations into the future, the welding trade would come again into Henry's family. Michael knew that this creative skill was in the bloodline. Michael studied the welding skills that his ancestors had demonstrated through time. There was a love and a passion for this trade that went beyond anything Michael had ever seen. Michael predicted that the welding trade would reappear stressing the creative and artful work the most by someone in the future. This person would be a peaceful, loving person. He would not do so much welding of pipe and superstructure, but live his life creating new forms of artwork that display the peaceful side of welding.
Many generations after Michael and Steve; Joshua was born. Joshua took back up the trade of welding. Josh lived a humble existence. He bought a shop and walled off one portion of the shop as a living area. Josh welded constantly. He built artwork through welding and sold it at auction. The money that Josh made went to the children of homeless families in the area, with just enough left over for Josh to eat and pay rent. It seemed as if Josh's life were lived through his welding art for other people. Josh gave all of his artwork away in the sense that the money went to those who needed it the most.
Josh attributed his skill to a gift from God. A gift that came years before. Looking back through time it was amazing how much Josh favored his ancestor Henry. There were only pictures of Henry painted by one of Henry's artist friends. Josh's image appeared to be the exact likeness of Henry. It was as if Henry, who created what seemed to be everything in art from the beginning, had reappeared as Josh. Josh and Henry even lived similar lives. Was Josh Henry? Was Henry Josh? It's as if Henry had returned through all time and lived once again.
Creative ability that was lived out in love from Henry to Josh. This Love was passed, lost, passed and lost again. A Love so deep that it will surely now live forever. A Love that will dwell secure, for now this Love will be great to the ends of the earth. A Love that brings peace to all generations.
Prayer
Lord, you came into this world and moved your love throughout all creation. Then we ruined it in sin. You came once again to give your love so that we may live once again in the love that you freely give. You will come again in this very same love to restore all things to you. Take this scrap metal and make it what you would have it be, that I may serve you in your kingdom. Come, Lord Jesus, come... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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