Visitors – God

6 For a child has been born—for us!
the gift of a son—for us!
He’ll take over the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor,
Strong God,
Eternal Father,
Prince of Wholeness.
7 His ruling authority will grow,
and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.
He’ll rule from the historic David throne
over that promised kingdom.
He’ll put that kingdom on a firm footing
and keep it going
With fair dealing and right living,
beginning now and lasting always.
The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies
will do all this.

Isaiah 9:6 – 7 The Message

The guests were starting to arrive for the centenary celebration, and the deaconess was standing at the door waiting to greet the new mayor. She wondered how she would recognise him, but was assured that other people wouldn’t be wearing chains round their necks. When a chauffeur-driven car pulled up at the specially coned-off area, she came forward and greeted the impressive-looking gentleman who emerged, and led him into the building. But after being introduced to one or two people, he tactfully informed her that he was not the new mayor! She apologised profusely, only grateful that she had not already ushered him to a VIP seat.
Meanwhile, however, she had missed the real mayor. He had passed her in the corridor, but how could she have known? Not only was he chainless; he looked so ordinary! Furthermore, he had walked to the church, and come in at the back door. It was the caretaker who pointed him out to her. ‘Yes, I know Bert,’ he said. ‘I used to do the soup run with him.’

They said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, Are you the one who is
to come, or are we to wait for another?’”
Luke 7:18-23 The Message

Jesus, are you the one?
It is hardly surprising that people missed your coming when even John the Baptist wasn’t sure.
They were expecting such a different kind of messiah.
The unmistakable kind.
Chauffeur-driven, on a VIP throne, with a gold chain.
How could anyone be expected to know who you were when you came in at the back, looking ordinary?
There were plenty who did recognise you, of course:
the blind man who cried, ‘Son of David, have pity!;
the disturbed one who screamed, ‘Stay away!;
the woman who touched the hem of your coat,
the folk who knew you from the soup run.
But are you the one, Jesus? We still have to ask.
In a world of paths and promises, how can we be sure?
Your reply is your work amongst the sick and oppressed. ‘Decide for yourselves!’
you say- as if it isn’t the doctrines, or even the miracles,
but the company you keep and the priorities you hold
and the kingdom of possibilities and joy
you unpack amid our ordinariness.
So help us to be on the look-out for your coming,
as the people and events crowd in.
Open our eyes to see you in the guise of friend and stranger. Whatever the path,
wherever the place,
however you come to us,
may there be recognition.
And joyous welcoming.
Taken from Advent readings from Iona, Brian Woodcock and Jan Sutch Pickard, Wild Goose Publications, 2000.

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