A reed shaken by the wind
Sermon for Advent III, 2022, delivered at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Louisville KY. Text: Isaiah 35:1-10 , Matthew 11:2-11 "The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing." That’s a wonderful image from the reading from Isaiah for this time of year, when the days are getting colder and shorter. When the leaves have fallen off of the tree, and the summer plants have died, it’s reassuring to hear this image of life, of things in the world being restored. It’s a comfort. But then all of a sudden in the reading there’s this word vengeance that pops up in the stanza, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you." It really sticks out, and makes me think that God is going to vindicate us, and save us from an undeserved fate. But what fate is that? We have to go back one chapte