There’s a story I think of often that comes from a former priest of mine. At the start of his ministry, he had an opportunity to go to Greece and visit with a respected monastic elder on Mount Athos. After describing to the elder all that he had done and hoped and planned to do, … Continue reading The Gift of New Beginnings: A Reflection for Christmas Day 2022
The Christian faith is full of paradox and irony, and the Christmas story captures this better than any other. God becomes a human, the virgin becomes a mother, the King is born surrounded by livestock and attended to by shepherds, the Prince of Peace is hunted down by the authorities. But the irony that strikes … Continue reading From Darkness to Light: A Reflection for Christmas Eve 2022
Today is December 21 and so we’re nearing the end of our Advent journey. The waiting and watching is almost over; the bridegroom is about to arrive; we can see the first inklings of morning light on the Eastern horizon. And yet, for many of us, what we actually find on Christmas morning isn’t exactly … Continue reading Joy and Sorrow, Excitement and Anxiety: An Advent Reflection on Isaiah 52-53
One of the themes that has emerged in this Advent series on Isaiah’s oracles of hope has been new life appearing where you least expect it — lush green in the desert, a sapling emerging from a burned out stump — and from the most humble of beginnings — a seed, a remnant. The Old … Continue reading With Us Within the Ambiguity of Life: An Advent Reflection on Isaiah 7.10-17
“Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” These word from the prophet John the Baptist, and taken up by so many street-preachers of various degrees of sanity over the years, are hardly what we’d call comforting words. ‘Wake up!’ he’s saying. ‘Open your eyes and ears and hearts to what’s really happening around … Continue reading A Voice in the Wilderness: An Advent Reflection on Isaiah 40
Matthew Root 