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Sunday, December 7

Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12

Isaiah, Romans, and Matthew prepare us wonderfully for Christmas 2025, even though they do so in rather different ways. Of course, for many Americans (at least those today who are historically minded), we cannot forget how ill-prepared we were for what happened on this day, December 7, back in 1941. The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor sent a shock-wave around the world that changed nearly everything about our lives today.

Drop back another 2,000 years, and the words of Paul and Matthew had their own lasting shock-value, like those of Isaiah some seven to eight centuries earlier. Isaiah saw a tiny branch spring up when things were dead and dark, when God鈥檚 people were living under the power of tyrants and outsiders. Isaiah saw a tiny branch, growing against all odds, that was springing up to change the world. In fact, the Spirit of the Lord that inspired that branch also saw lambs lounging with wolves, lions grazing with oxen, and children playing safely with snakes.

These colorful images parallel John the Baptist, who not only wore strange clothes, ate odd food, and saw trees being cut down, but also saw God鈥檚 Spirit making new children of Abraham from seemingly useless stones. And Paul, anticipating his visit to the Christians in Rome, wrote about harmony, hope, joy, and peace鈥攚hile the Romans were ravaging the world. Paul even witnessed Gentiles being led by God鈥檚 Holy Spirit.

What a glorious collection of words鈥攚hen breathed on the world by God鈥檚 Spirit鈥攖hat can change everything. On that dreaded Pearl Harbor day, when pilots of enemy warplanes were screaming words of war鈥斺�淭ora! Tora! Tora!鈥� (Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!)鈥攖he attack was underway. Instead of attack, Paul, inspired by another Spirit, exclaimed 鈥淗ope!鈥� 鈥淛oy!鈥� and 鈥淧eace!鈥� Once again, God was replacing bad news with good news, no matter the personal, political, or global conflict taking place. Yes, God always has another plan.

In the publication Faith in Foxholes (Christian History #121), the story is told of Commander Mitsuo Fuchida, who led the first wave of bombers in the attack on Pearl Harbor. As the story goes, he sent up a green flare signaling the order to attack, and later had the radio operator send the 鈥淭ora! Tora! Tora!鈥� message declaring the successful surprise assault. The rest of his story tells how an American woman, Peggy Covell, treated the injuries of a Japanese prisoner鈥攅ven though Japanese soldiers had killed her missionary parents in the Philippines. Because she refused revenge, Fuchida was drawn to Christianity and, in September 1949, became a Christian himself, later proclaiming the good news of salvation to many more. Out of the ashes, a tiny branch sprang forth.

So we begin this Advent season with these important words: 鈥淗ope! Joy! Peace!鈥� These words prevail over all others. We just say 鈥淵es!鈥� and 鈥淭hank you!鈥濃�攁nd God does the rest.

Robert W. Canoy
Former Dean, Part-time Professor of Theology