Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6, 2015

[John] went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
Luke 3:3-6

I am struck in this passage by the fact that in preparing for the Lord, every valley shall be filled. A valley is usually a large empty space. To fill it is no easy task. And yet, God makes it so. This image is powerful for me, conjuring up images of emptiness and fullness. It brings to mind so many people in whose lives there is emptiness, both physical and spiritual, and the fact that God uses my gifts and abilities to prepare the way, to fill up the emptiness.

This weekend is the Southeastern Pennsylvania Christmas Ingathering, where we gather nearly $100,000 of items which are physically needed by our brothers and sisters both locally and globally. These items include quilts, food, toiletries, school kits, socks, and gifts for children.

“Every valley shall be filled...” To be present at the central collection site is always awe-inspiring. Five trucks arrive from all over the Synod full of these items. The large room which begins stark and empty is filled with donations. One of the five trucks is refilled with items for Lutheran World Relief and is delivered to their warehouse in Maryland, which is also filled to the brim. Another of the trucks is loaded with hundreds of bags of food to stock several city food pantries that will help to fill the valleys of those who are hungry.

Jesus, help us to see the needs of others. As we prepare the way, help us to fill the valleys of our companions on the journey. Amen.

Rev. Sandra Brown is the Interim Pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in Bensalem and serves on the Faith-Based Relations Team of Liberty Lutheran.