Advent Reflection - “Rejoice and HEAR” Do you want to hear the good news?

This week’s readings from Malachi and Luke are full of good and bad news. Good news that God had not forgotten them and was promising a Messiah to come to show them good ways. Bad news for some because they would have to change and sometimes that is hard.

In the reading from Luke 3:1-6, John, who became known as John the Baptist, comes out of the wilderness to the region around the Jordan River to tell the people to get ready for the promised Messiah. He tells them to change their ways, and repent. Repentance is translated from a Greek word that means “have a change of mind” or “go beyond the mind you have”. John told the people that it was time to change (hear the Messiah is coming) and make a change (ask for forgiveness and be baptised). This was good news for those who would hear.

John’s message is for us to hear too. As we prepare for Christmas, we hear the good news and are called to be people who put it into action. To be people who daily change our way to God’s way, so that what we say and do, smooths the way, so that the good news of Jesus is heard and known in our community and world.

We have family that work and live in remote Western Queensland. It can be very rewarding but at times very challenging. One time James was coming back to the homestead on his motorbike after mustering all day. It was getting dark, and as he was heading along the track, he saw what looked like a brown snake ahead. He swerved to miss the snake, hit a log, came off the bike and landed on a branch that pierced his upper thigh. He couldn’t move because he was pinned to the branch, and his leg hurt a lot. What was he to do?

Fortunately, James’ two-way radio was still secured in a pouch on his chest, so he pressed the transmit button and called the homestead for help. “Station 1, are you there?’’ no answer. He called again “Station 1, are you there?’’ Then James’ wife came on the radio. “Station 1 here. Where are you?”

James said he had never felt so much relief as when he heard his wife’s voice. He knew help would be on its way. He had even more relief when he heard the RFDS plane overhead later that night. He knew that it would have been action all-stations at the homestead. Someone had gone out and lit up the runway, setting tins of oil down the sides to mark out a straight path so that the plane could land. He knew that even though his pain was extreme, and the branch was still in his leg, that the expertise of the flying doctor team would help him. James said as he lay there praying and waiting for the team to arrive and the sounds of the night bush came over him, he knew he would be OK.

James was airlifted to hospital and after surgery and lots of therapy was able to walk again. Along the way James and his family rejoiced as healing milestones were met. Praise God!