Sermon for the Holy Communion

Rev. Misa Furumoto

Today is already the first day of December, and at the same time, the first Sunday of Advent, marking the first day of the church calendar year. Starting today, the lectionary for the Eucharist will use Year C, based on the Gospel of Luke. We are entering a preparation period lasting about four weeks, leading up to Christmas Day on the 25th of this month. The beginning of the new year starting from the preparation period for the great day of Christmas shows how important it is. Generally, when we think of preparing for Christmas, we imagine decorating Christmas trees and wreaths, playing cheerful Christmas songs, and choosing gifts for our families and friends. However, the Bible does not excite our hearts in that way. The scripture passage for the 1st Sunday of Advent is the same every year. It is a tense announcement and warning that something incredibly terrifying will soon happen on this earth, followed by the return of Jesus Christ. In other words, the end of the world is coming soon.

When I was a child, I found such passages in the Bible terrifying, and there were times I couldn’t sleep. It was truly frightening, and I remember well that I talked about it to my father who was a priest. At that time, he patted my head and said, “Everything will be alright; Jesus is coming. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” It felt like I had received a kind of charm. After that, I was strangely convinced, and I still remember the trembling stopping as a mysterious feeling.

As I grew up, the intense fear I felt as a child faded, but in recent years, I can’t help but think that what is written in this scripture passage may really be starting to happen. Since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, earthquakes have occurred in various parts of Japan, and the probability of a Nankai Trough earthquake happening soon seems to have increased significantly. Additionally, climate change due to global warming, rising temperatures, and damage from heavy rains are occurring not just in numbers but at a level we can feel.

What we can do now is to check evacuation routes, prepare necessary supplies for disasters, and carry out necessary earthquake-resistant construction. They say that preparation prevents worry. But is that really true? Of course, these preparations are important, but the preparations we can make with our tiny human brains are limited. No matter how much we do, we can never achieve 100%. Even if one becomes the president of a large corporation, the president of a country, or even holds all the money in the world, one cannot completely protect oneself from the natural disasters that may come in the future. Moreover, we cannot prepare for sudden suffering and sorrow that can occur in life, such as our own illness, family troubles, the death of a loved one, or betrayal by someone we trusted. Many of us tend to resign ourselves to the idea that life is just like that. Or we try to live by thinking that as long as we are enjoying the present, we can just cover up the darkness of life and not think about any bad things.

However, what today’s scripture is trying to convey is not merely the arrival of fear. Rather, when terrible things happen, when we are filled with fear and anxiety, and when we are tormented by the loneliness, it is also the time when Jesus comes to us. We are to know this. The moment we realize that something scary is happening, it is our bad habit to stop thinking. “Oh, it’s no good, it’s impossible, let’s close our eyes.” And we retreat into our shells. The disciples were the same. When Jesus told them that He would soon suffer and be killed, but would rise again on the third day, their minds stopped at the word “suffering,” and “resurrection” did not go into their ears. However, Jesus showed us through His own experience that suffering does not end in suffering, and death is not the end.

Today, Jesus tells each one of us, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” “When you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.” The occurrence of sad and painful things and when God reaches out to you and tells you Jesus is with you actually happen simultaneously.

I have mentioned before that exactly 13 years ago from now, just as Advent began, I received a diagnosis of breast cancer. It was progressive, so they suggested surgery right after the New Year. Since I had two young children, it felt like the universe had been shaken for me, a terrifying experience. My vision went dark, and I felt as if I had been thrown into the dark void of the universe. However, one day during Advent, I suddenly realized that God’s hand was extended before me. I discovered that a small light was shining in the darkness. That was a moment of liberation for me. It was the arrival of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God, in its original language, means God’s reign, and it was precisely the moment my heart was ruled by God.

The suffering, sorrow, and pain of this world are all signs, signals of encountering God, being liberated from all suffering, and being invited into the kingdom of God. A Japanese Catholic priest named Father Haresaku wrote a poem titled “When You Get Sick.” In it, there is a line that goes, “When you get sick, let us offer everything to the smile that loves and nurtures me, and lifts me up as a child. I have been given a once-in-a-lifetime chance. A chance to meet the true parent.” The poem concludes with, “And you will know that you are a child of God. When you get sick, a chance arrives. In times of illness, it is a time of grace.” When we are in pain, we are almost always looking down. But it is precisely at that moment that Jesus tells us to stand up and lift our heads. If we do so, we will surely meet Him.

In four weeks, we will welcome the joyful Christmas. Why is Christmas a time of joy? It is because it is the day we remember the moment when Jesus came into each of our darkness. God is right beside us when we are in suffering. The Lord Jesus was born in the dark, cold, and filthy stable of our hearts. Let us firmly hold this in our hearts and spend the Advent season with gratitude.  In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.