Saturday and Sunday, December 16 and December 17, 2023

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners.

Isaiah 61:1

Isaiah brought promises of a Messiah to come. Advent brings us that same time of promise and waiting. A time of reflection, hope, and anticipation.

Waiting does not always come with the anticipation of something good. I have worked in disaster response for the last 18 years. My work has focused on long-term recovery after the news coverage is gone, the funding is gone, the interest has waned, and often hope is gone.

It is hard to tell survivors they have to wait. It does not seem fair or just, and often isn’t. Even though we want to, we cannot control outcomes for those who are suffering. But we can walk with them in the waiting. We can be present.

We can be what Jesus would want us to be, what He has called us to be. We can bring the good news, bind up the brokenhearted, open the eyes of those imprisoned in sin and proclaim the freedom that is found in our Lord and Savior. A Messiah that was prophesied in Isaiah, a promise fulfilled in a babe born in Bethlehem.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. (Luke 2:10) For all the people – no one excluded, no one rejected, no one omitted. His good news is for ALL to hear.

Go and bring the good news, even in the waiting when answers are unclear, when doubt can creep in, when hope is lost. That could be when it is needed most. Share the hope you have found in the Messiah, the babe, the lamb and redeemer, the Son of God. He can turn mourning to joy and ashes to beauty, even in the waiting.

Most Merciful God, we thank you for the opportunity to be your people of promise bringing the good news to those who are hurting in this world. Amen.

Jessica Vermilyea, Haphak Consulting, LLC, and Chair of the Louisiana VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). Jessica was previously the lead for Lutheran Disaster Response in the Gulf Coast.