The message on this second Sunday of Advent seems pretty straightforward, the Lord will come through here and it will mean for us our salvation. And in order for this to happen, we have the privileged opportunity of readying the way for Him.
What might this mean for us today? It may be useful to consider our whole being as ground in which the Lord might make his way. Are there roads to begin with? There may be areas of our being that we have deemed so barren, so inhospitable, that we dare not trek through them. We know of their existence, they go with us everywhere, but we would rather not see ourselves in them.
Perhaps there are serious obstacles that are in the way: a sense of unworthiness, of pain, of shame. Sometimes there is so much on our plate that it feels like we’re carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. But the world was meant to be walked, not borne.
Preparing the way within will ready us to engage the world without. Our unburdened feet, hands, and hearts will be better prepared to make the journey of others smoother, lighter, more enjoyable.
Just a little effort on our part goes a long way, and we may find the One we’re waiting for already there tracing this new road with us.