I was walking down Yates Street trying on glasses the other day. I see a guy walking past we wearing big headphones yelling things. That in itself is not surprising or unusual in downtown Victoria. We have a mental health crisis and there are often people not in a good frame of mind. But something seemed a bit off. Perhaps he suffered from mental illness but he was well dressed and he was spewing hate speech about immigrants. It wasn’t an incoherent diatribe. The words seemed carefully chosen. Perhaps he was listening to a podcast inspiring this vitriol. He also had a red MAGA hat clipped to his belt. I told him to stop and he paused for a second, glanced my way and smiled, and then continued spewing hate speech. He was a white guy in his early thirties, perhaps a bit taller than me. He seemed quite smug, not afraid of what anyone might say to him. If you didn’t hear what he was saying, he seemed to having a pleasant Friday afternoon stroll. I expect a sign of the times. Like the fig tree bearing its fruit, but not the fruit of God’s love and coming kingdom.
Perhaps you have similar stories of strangers, friends, or family members in the thrall of societal forces. People who will assure you this is the change we are waiting for. And so we ask ourselves, is this the change we are waiting for? Are the red hats signs of God’s love? Or are we waiting for someone else, a different kind of waiting?
In the gospel reading we hear what is called eschatological writing. Jesus talking about the end times. Often we think of end times as a gloomy kind of prophecy. A future of foreboding. But Jesus uses a cheery and simple parable about the fig tree. What is more pleasant than a fig tree in bloom? Or thinking about the changing leaves in the different seasons. We’ve said goodbye to those Autumn leaves and entering a period of winter here on the island and Northern Hemisphere. People in Australia and New Zealand are welcoming different leaves on different trees.
The world is full of natural beauty and Jesus points to the beauty of creation amidst the scarier description of the signs in the sun, moon, and stars. Maybe this helps describe the renewed interest in astrology. We also want to learn to read the stars and discern what is coming next.
Jesus uses this eschatology or end times language paired with the parable of the fig tree, something we can understand, and the warning to stay alert. Now we know that some people will use this cryptic language to insert any kind of messaging, including hate. Part of our work as followers of Jesus is discerning what the changing seasons is pointing to. Nothing in the gospels about Jesus point toward more hate. Nothing in this gospel reading gives us licenses to discriminate whole groups of people. So we want to consider what Jesus is pointing us toward.
Yesterday we pointed to a different kind of community both gathering to talk about congregation plans with proceeds from a sale and an unexpected gift. And also a great celebration making gingerbread houses. We had lots of friends we already know and we made some new friends…
I’m giving you 5-7 minutes to reflect upon the question printed at the top of your order of worship: As you think about the fig tree parable and begin this time of waiting, what stands out to you this Advent?
