We’re well and truly into Advent now aren’t we? There’s no going back folks! It’s full steam ahead. And we get one of my favourite Advent happenings today- John the Baptist calling the Pharisees and Sadducees- those coming for baptism without actually feeling they need to change in any way- a brood of vipers. If you’re playing Advent bingo it’s right up there.
What John is telling us is that the only way we’re going to bear the fruit which leads to the wonderful vision we hear in the reading from Isaiah is if we change in some way. Being a baptised, and maybe also in our tradition confirmed, Christian should lead us to having the kind of relationship with Jesus that changes us for the better, that makes us long for and work towards the vision of Isaiah’s prophecy.
The line “and a little child shall lead them” inspired the whole of the communion service at the 2016 Greenbelt festival. Andrew Greystone wrote a song for the service and I’d like to share it with you this morning as a poem. As we continue our Advent journey and are so aware of the problems and divisions of our world and our own communities, it may help us as it brings alive the vision of what our world could be if every one was completely open to letting God’s vision for our world be born into our hearts this Christmas;
One day, one day, perhaps it will be Sunday
One day we will live in peace and a little child will lead us.
One day wolves will live in the same field as little lambs, and the wolves will look after the lambs and the lams will teach the wolves how to sing.
One day tasty calves and hungry young lions will share the same feeding trough. One day cats will offer to take dogs out for walkies and dogs will learn to scratch cats behind the ears.
One day, one day, perhaps it will be Saturday
One day we will live in peace and a little child will lead us.
One day Tom will make friends with Jerry, and Sylvester will stop chasing Tweety Pie. One day He-Man will shake hands with Skeletor, and Batman and the Joker will join forces to clean up Gotham City.
One day the Montagues will invite the Capulets over for tea and say how nice it will be to be one big happy family.
One day the Beales and the Mitchells will sit down for Christmas dinner together in Albert Square and nobody will throw anything or call anyone else a Muppet.
One day, one day, perhaps it will be Friday
One day we will live in peace and a little child will lead us.
One day the fans of Manchester United and Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton will sit side by side on the same terrace and cheer when each other’s teams score.
One day the biggest bully in the school will walk home hand in hand with the smallest kid and the smallest kid will help the bully do his homework.
One day brothers and sisters will share their toys, and not argue over who has to go to bed first or what they want to watch on TV. One day kids will laugh at their dads’ jokes – without even trying.
One day, one day, perhaps it will be Thursday
One day we will live in peace and a little child will lead us.
One day women will be able to walk home at night, and if they hear footsteps behind them it will only make them feel safer.
One day men and women, gay and straight, will share everything from changing rooms to churches.
One day no-one will be interested in what kind of school you went to, or whether you went to university, or what your father did for a living.
One day prison doors will be flung open, and prisoners and the people they have hurt will throw their arms around each other.
One day, one day, perhaps it will be Wednesday
One day we will live in peace and a little child will lead us.
One day politicians from every party will sit around in a circle and work together to bring about justice.
One day the people of America will embrace the people of Russia, the people of Britain will swap recipe tips with the people of Europe and the children of Syria will work together to rebuild their country.
One day Protestants and Catholics will worship side by side in a language they don’t even understand, and no-one in the church will feel the need to talk about gender and sexuality any more.
One day there will be a black James Bond – or even Jamelia Bond for that matter.
One day, one day, perhaps it will be Tuesday
One day we will live in peace and a little child will lead us.
One day Democrats and Republicans will listen to each other to choose a leader they can all respect and trust.
One day all the passport booths at ports and airports will be replaced by welcome desks where someone with a smiley face will tell you how glad he is that you’re here. One day the fact that you are black or white, Hutu or Tutsi, Sunni or Shia will be nothing more than an interesting topic of conversation.
One day the wall between Israel and Palestine will be torn down, and the children of Abraham will live side by side in peace.
One day, one day, perhaps it will be Monday
One day we will live in peace and a little child will lead us.
One day, one day, perhaps it will be Sunday … Saturday … Friday … Thursday …Wednesday … Tuesday … Monday
One day we will live in peace and a little child will lead us.
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