'Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.
Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you'
In the first week of Advent, our readings and reflections sought to portray current events and concerns from the perspective of God's eternity. We do not doubt the seriousness of the earthly realities that confront us, but we recognise that they are but a small part of humanity's history. This week, we traditionally focus on the prophets of the Old Testament, whose existence reminds us that throughout that history, God has been speaking. Not only that, but history itself only exists by God's decree; it is this that convinces us to believe that God continues to speak in our present age.
Today's headlines might be justifiably alarming, but they are only the headlines of today, and more often than not, only the headlines of
our today that serve, as much as anything else, to blind us to the stories of others. Within a week, today's headlines become yesterday's news, and of one thing we can be certain - tomorrow there will be more headlines, irrespective of whether the events they describe warrant the attention they are given. We have learned to expect headlines and bulletins, whether or not there is anything to say.
And in the midst of our information laden world, where texts and emails can fill up our in-boxes faster than we have the capacity to read them, this Psalm reminds us that God's Word is eternal. The Psalm writer's world view is founded on the belief that everything in creation only exists because God said it should be so. As a new day dawns; as the cycles and seasons continue their course, they offer an enduring testimony to the power and permanence of God's word. God's word is embodied in what we call the laws of nature and physics, and this is the inspiration to embrace afresh the laws of justice and righteousness that God impresses upon us with equal intent.
Copy writers, forecasters, politicians and commentators will all seek to persuade us to their view. They will bombard us with words; invite us to respond through social media platforms; we will post, tweet and re-tweet; like, dislike and share. And as this barrage of opinion is relentlessly unleashed, we choose again to be still, to re-tune our ears to the One whose utterances are of infinitely greater value. We believe that there are other words, words of hope, words of grace and peace, words of life; words which might not attract the attention that they deserve, but eternal words. These are the words that matter; these are the words on which our hope is founded.
We do not ignore or dismiss the narratives of our world, but Advent invites us to ask what God might be saying either through what we hear, or through those messages that the current war of words is drowning out.
God, whose word is eternal, amidst the noise of this world, help me this day to seek out and hear what you are saying.
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