"The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.” – Zephaniah 3:17-18
Have you ever been to a festival? Imagine a beautiful sunny day. The aroma of sizzling bratwurst and hamburgers wafts through the air as they are grilled over a charcoal fire. Laughter and a chorus of conversations echo around you as musicians play a joyful tune from across the way. Adults reminisce while children chase each other in a game of tag.
Such a scene is filled with merriment, camaraderie, and good cheer; what the Germans call Gemütlichkeit. In fact, this kind of festivity is one of the ways the Scriptures describe heaven. The prophet Isaiah (25:6) tells how the LORD will gather all peoples to His holy mountain, where He will serve “a feast of rich food and choice wines,” and the book of Revelation (19:9) depicts heaven as the “wedding feast of the Lamb.”
What is it that makes a feast or festival so heavenly? It is not the food, the beer, or the music, but the sharing that counts. Eating a meal together. Enjoying a drink together. Singing together. Reminiscing together. This sense of sharing and togetherness is what gives us a glimpse into Heaven, because Heaven is a community. By definition, it is perfect communion with God, Who is Himself a Communion of Persons– the eternal exchange of Love between Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The good news is that God wants you to join the party. You are invited! But, it is up to you to respond, to RSVP, to show up and actually partake in the celebration. You can’t be a wallflower if you want to share in God’s love, you must actually, well, share.
I think the words of Saint John the Baptist from the Gospel passage for this Sunday provide a good description of what I mean: “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise” (Luke 3:11).
Imagine if we did that. Imagine if we shared our goods with the poor like we might share a beer with a friend. Heck, imagine if we even just shared a beer with a friend more frequently, or a meal with our family. Our world would be a much more festive place.
Come, Lord Jesus, share Your love with us. Draw us deeper into joyful communion with You and our brothers and sisters as we prepare for the great festival of Christmas. Amen.