An ancient Chinese parable tells of an old farmer named Tan Chang. Chang had a small farm overshadowed by a towering mountain. The land was shaded most of the day and therefore did not produce well.

One day old Mr. Chang got the notion to get rid of the mountain. With the help of his wife and sons, he began to hack at the rock around its base. A neighbor walked by and scoffed, “You will never finish the job, old man! There are not enough days in the year for you to do this.” But Tan replied confidently, “I am not as foolish as you think, my friend. I may be old and feeble, but after I am gone, my sons will continue to peck away at the mountain. Then their sons and their sons’ sons will do the same. Since the mountain cannot grow, someday it will be level with the ground, and the sun will shine upon our land.”

Most of the problems we face in life cannot be removed instantly. But they can be moved one piece at a time – or one day at a time.

Let us pray: Loving God, I pray especially today for those who feel overwhelmed – as though they have mountains to overcome; and for others who are carrying heavy burdens. Give them insight into what they can change or do today. Grant them courage and strength to face the moment. And fill each of us with your Spirit and with your peace. In Christ’s name. Amen.

Today’s message was written by Rev. Dr. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.

Some of you have seen the very popular Life’s Little Instruction Book. It contains a series of short, pertinent sayings that give helpful advice for living. A companion volume entitled Life’s Little Instruction Book for Preachers could well include the following:

1. Never insult anybody, but especially not the chairperson of the finance committee.
2. Never begin your sermon with the words “knock, knock!”
3. And never, ever say, “And finally…” unless you really mean it.

Communication: what a miracle that is! The transmission of ideas and feelings through words – no mystery is greater than that. “In the beginning was the word.” We do not live by bread alone. We live by words. A word can lift up or push down. A word can make us glad or sad. Words can inspire and brighten our spirits or they can crush and deflate our souls. Words can motivate and encourage. The Apostle Paul reminds us, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up… (I Thessalonians 5:11) Friend of Dial Hope, affirm someone today with a TA-DA!, and build them up.

Let us pray: You have shown us, O God, what is good: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you. Transform our words into messages of hope and love. Let our souls flower in gentleness, kindness, peace, and goodwill. Watch over the men and women serving our country overseas. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

One of the common themes of Advent is the light piercing the darkness.  In the northern hemisphere, this is the time of year when the days grow shorter, and we long for the light. I’ve heard up north people can get SAD (seasonal affective disorder). It’s a type of situational depression set on by lack of natural sunlight.

We long for the light in another sense too… As the Corona Virus continues to impact our families and lives; as political tensions spill over into our communities and even into our families; as heartache and need surround us;  we long for the light to pierce the darkness.

This is why this time of year we express our longing. We sing O Come O Come Emmanuel. We reflect on the hope of ancient Israel; and on the coming of Christ – and the promise that what God began on that first Christmas morning in Bethlehem, God will one day bring to completion…  We read the prophets who give us a vision of this future – and who encourage us to wait with hope.

Part of what the season of Advent teaches us, if it is done well, is to wait with hope….  not in a passive sense – but to wait with eyes attuned to places where the light is already piercing the darkness.

Isaiah says, “Come O house of Israel, let us walk in the light of the Lord.”

My prayer for each of you today is that you notice those places where the light is indeed shining through the darkness.  The news is full of darkness, but if your eyes are open, there is light. May you notice God’s love at work in the world even now, notice the light – and to find ways to join it. Find ways to walk in it. Find ways to share it.

Let us pray: God of Grace, Give us eyes to see the beauty and goodness – even amid the darkness. Grant us hearts to walk in it and share it. And as we do, may we experience your joy and your peace anew this season. In Christ’s name. Amen.

My friend Daisy once reminded me of a story of a little church up in the mountains located so far out in a hollow that for many years there was no electricity. Finally, electricity came to their area. At one of the church board meetings, someone stood and said, “I make a motion that our church buys a chandelier.”

Now every church must have at least one “I’m against it” person. (This is to keep the others from making decisions too hastily!) The “I’m against it” elder stood up and said, “After thinking long and hard on this situation, I’ve come up with three reasons why we should forget about buying a chandelier.

“Ain’t nobody here can spell it. Ain’t nobody in this church knows how to play it. And besides, we need lights.”

The story is funny. But truth is, often we do need to hear the alternative point of view – even when it comes across as ignorance. And, it’s not that we have to agree with it, we don’t. But often in life, we grow most deeply when we come to understand both sides of an issue. More importantly, as Christians, we are called to love even those people with whom we disagree. And, it is hard to love people when we haven’t even listened to them.

We live in a time when our country and even our churches are polarized on any number of issues. I pray today that you would listen to and love even those with whom you disagree.

Let us pray: Loving God, help us always to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Give us hearts to love despite our differences. As we do, meet us in that place, and may we notice your healing in our own relationships. Grant us the ability to be instruments of your healing and your peace. Amen.

It’s written in the book of James, “My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.”

That’s not easy, is it? We live in a very polarized world. It’s easy to demonize people who don’t agree with us theologically or politically. And it is sometimes hard to love people who look different, or who speak a different language, or who don’t measure up to our standards.

There is a story that circulated among the ancient rabbis of the Hasidic tradition about a rabbi who was asked one day by a student, “How can one tell when the new day has come?” The rabbi reversed the question and asked his student, “You tell me how you can know.”

The student guessed, “Is it when the rooster crows to signal a new dawn?” “No,’ the rabbi answered. “Is it then perhaps when one can discern the silhouette of a tree against the sky?” No, he was told. “The surest way to know when the night is over and when a new day has come is when you can look into the face of a stranger, the one who is so different you, and recognize him as your brother. See her as your sister. Until that day comes, it will always be night.”

Jesus once said, “You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be called children of your Father in heaven… If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Are not tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?”

At a time when our nation is so polarized, so divided on so many fronts, what would it mean for those of us who follow Christ, to let go of any favoritism, to build bridges and sow seeds of love.

Let us pray: We are humbled when we realize our place in this vast universe. We are humbled and awed by the sheer magnitude of your love and grace. It’s just amazing to think about this family that you’ve called – a family that stretches around the world – no two people alike. And yet – everyone is created in your image. Thank you, Lord, for including us. Give us the courage to love others – even those very different from us, not just in words, but in actions. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.