Friday, December 8, 2017

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’ 
Jeremiah 1:4-5 

There was delight in his eyes when I greeted a new resident by name. “You know my name!” he exclaimed. Probably a lot of us can resonate with his joy. It is good to be known! Maybe it is especially good to be known when you have moved to a new place, with new people and new schedules where you might wonder if anyone knows anything about who you are.

Maybe Jeremiah wondered if anyone knew him? He was young. He might even have puzzled over knowing himself. And then the Lord spoke. Advent reminds us that God speaks, speaks to each of us formed by God’s own imagination, God speaks in the margins - the places we are unknown and maybe unseen, in our fears, in our places of wonder, and when we do not understand. God speaks with a knowledge deeper than our own. And, knowing each of us, God consecrates us. God sets us apart for God’s own purpose. Like Jeremiah, we who strive to also know God – Emmanuel- soon to be born into our lives - are appointed to “tell it on the mountains.” In the swirl of this holiday season, we are appointed to be prophets who look right into the face of all that is troubling our spirits and the world, and boldly and joyfully proclaim, “Christ is born for this.” To bring light to all that God formed and knows and loves! 

O God who knows every hair on our heads, speak to our hearts as we await your coming into this world. Set us apart to speak with joy what we know in our hearts, that you are Emanuel - God with us! Amen. 

The Rev. Ghislaine Cotnoir is Director of Pastoral Care at Artman and The Hearth at Drexel.