The Word, 'Change'

The Rev. Dr. Daniel Muñoz

2 December 2016

The Word, 'Change'

 

‘…for God in every way
would become like one of them;
he would come to them
and dwell with them,
and so God would be man,
and man would be God.
He would walk with them,
and with them he would eat and drink…’

These words from the Spanish poet and mystic, John of the Cross summarize both the heart of the Advent season and the essence of the Gospel. The moment of Christ’s coming to earth, breaking through the ceiling of human history, marks the beginning of a new world order. Change is in the air as God fully embraces humanity (and by extension creation), so that human beings may know heaven on earth.

Throughout Advent we are invited to prepare ourselves to celebrate the first coming of Jesus – the mystery of the God who walked our roads, ate our bread and drank deep from our joys and tears. We are also encouraged to watch expectantly for the second coming of the Son of Man, as foretold in the New Testament, and to join in the song of the church with the cry: “Maranatha!”

Yet, the most challenging invitation of this season is twofold: to live in the present and to embrace change. That is, to drink from the sources of deep ancient wisdom able to transform us more and more into the likeness of Christ, into the likeness of God. This invitation is to seek, hope and open ourselves to the Spirit of God, the God of surprises who makes all things new (Rev. 21.5) in the world and in our lives. The word ‘change’ is at the core of the Gospel, at the heart of all life.

May the God of change continue to transform our humanity so that we may know fullness of Life on earth, as it is in heaven.

©Daniel Muñoz

Image Change the World this Christ, www.adventconspiracy.org

Daniel is an Anglican Priest and Chaplain to Los Olivos Retreat Centre, Spain. He was a Scholar in Residence at Vaughan Park in 2014.