By Gwen Gustafson-Zook, campus pastor
This week’s theme: Watching and Waiting
Welcome to the Goshen College online Advent Devotions! This season of waiting is upon us, and with it comes a prime opportunity to set aside a few minutes each day to join with others in pausing to reflect on the significance of this season. I recently sat down with a friend who is very pregnant and her comments in reference to the child inside her were, in essence, “I feel him. Now I want to see him and hold him in my arms.” The reality of the connection was not in question. But she longed to see the beauty and the goodness that she KNEW was on the verge of being revealed.
“The Lord is our righteousness” is the theme for this year’s Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada Advent resources used by many Mennonite Churches in the U.S. and Canada. The planners of these resources note, “When we say that God is our righteousness we mean that God is the ultimate example of what GOOD looks and acts like.” They go on to note that in both the Hebrew and Greek texts, “righteousness is often paired with justice.”
The incarnation of God in the person of Jesus reveals Divine Goodness and provides an invitation for us all to set aside our selfish pursuits and follow the ways of Jesus’ embodied righteousness, justice and goodness in our lives. In a world torn apart by injustice, we do well to dwell on this Divine calling as we anticipate the coming of the Christ child at Christmas.
This year GC students, faculty and staff will share reflections on a weekly theme each Monday followed by devotions growing out of the lectionary texts connected to that theme on Tuesday through Friday each week. We look forward to gathering as a virtual community to keep vigil together as we wait for the revelation of Divine Goodness in our world!