Through advent this year we have been following the daily devotional reflections offered through CommonGrace.org.au, our partners in ministry as we seek the justice of the Kingdom of God. Through these devotions we have reflected on the hospitality of God.
The hospitality of a God who comes among us, into the world created by The Word of God as a defenseless child into a world seeking his death from the day he was born. Born requiring hospitality, even as the creating Word; requiring protection, even with legions of angels at his command; a refugee, even as Lord of all.
This God, who comes into the world as one despised by it, vulnerable to it, who chooses to submit to the violence of it in order to win a victory over all evil and over death so that we might be brought into the hospitality of the Godhead.
We are invited into the family meal at communion, we become part of the family at baptism. We have Jesus as our brother; his Dad is our Dad, His Spirit lives within us. We are truly accepted, inspired and made whole by the work of God within us.
These devotions, though, invite us to reflect on the reception of hospitality as part of the family story.
– We are offered the hospitality of creation, we respond as good guests, taking care, nurturing and restoring in our turn.
– We are offered the hospitality of these lands now called Australia and the history of the oldest continuing culture in the world; we respond by listening, learning, becoming good allies.
– we are offered the hospitality of a place to belong, we return the hospitality by caring for the sojourner in our midst; the traveller, the refugee.
– we are offered the hospitality of the family meal; we feed the hungry and clothe the naked.
– the Prince of Peace brings us peace; we are energised to seek peace for those who are subject to abuse.
So as we receive the hospitality of the creator/child, let us be intentional as we walk into relationship with those around us: our First Nations people, especially when we don’t notice them.
Those who are being abused, marginalised or violated, even when they seem fine.
Those who are hungry or thirsty, even when they have access to food – there is so much more than food to hunger for.
With the whole of creation, who are our partners in the redemption stories as we await with eager expectation our revelation as the sons and daughters of God.
For the creator has come home, and invited us in!
Merry Christmas.
May your celebrations be joyous and deeply blessed.
John
About this Advent series
In Advent this year we are following the “Common Home” devotionals provided by Common Grace. These are free daily email devotionals crafted by a diverse group reflecting on the longing, hope, and beauty of God’s ‘Common Home’ being realised, revealed, and renewed through the birth of Jesus. You can look through those for past days of Advent at the bottom of the page.
Our 2023 Advent series focuses on the longing, hope, and beauty of God’s ‘Common Home’ being realised, revealed, and renewed through the birth of Jesus.
In the beginning God made a home.
Not a house with four walls and a door –
a place of belonging and safety for all
for bodies with wings and tails,
or fins and scales,
or human skin
like you and I exist within
We could describe this space
as one that was marked with common grace.
From ‘For our Common Home’ video written by poet Will Small
God’s great plan of reconciliation, the restoration of relationships and renewal of all things (Mt 19:28) is heralded through the birth of Christ. It is the moment that brings into vision the hope we have of God’s saving and restoring grace through Jesus Christ, God with us, who humbled himself by entering into our humanity and pointed to the renewal of God’s ‘Common Home’. A home where goodness and love and grace prevail; where justice and healing flows; where all people and creation flourish together, enjoying the goodness and relationship that God intends.
It’s in the season of Advent that we celebrate the coming of Jesus alongside our deep longing for this vision of goodness, beauty, justice and flourishing of God’s ‘Common Home’ to be worked out and revealed in our world today.