Communicating with reality: Emmanuel (reflection Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year A)

 Communicating with reality: Emmanuel

Reflections from a consistent ethic of hospitality: pro-life, pro-immigration. Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year A).

 

The Responsorial Psalm today is taken from Isaiah 7:10-14, about God’s promise of one to come: Emmanuel.

Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.

 

Grandmom: Look, Becca. This is a picture of your mom, when she was seven. You look so much like her!

Becca, age four: “That’s not Mom. That’s me.”

Grandmom: No, that’s your mom, when she was younger.

Becca: No, it’s me, when I was older.

Reality intrudes. We struggle with it, but reality is stubborn.

 

We didn’t say we wanted a baby! She can’t be pregnant!

What do you mean, she can’t be pregnant? Do you maybe sort of remember anything about where this child may have come from?

Well, I kissed her.

Good idea! Then what?

Then this and that. You know.

Maybe I do. Then what?

Then she was pregnant. But that can’t be right! We were not being serious! We never said we wanted a baby!

 

It’s sort of cute when human beings expect that reality will bend itself to conform to our stated intent, not to actions. Maybe cute, maybe a little stupid. Reality is a bit of a bully, determined and strong: it responds to what we do, not what we think or even say we want. Facts accumulate, with power and determination.

 

In The Lord of the Rings, Pippin Took drops a little stone down a chasm, and summons hordes of orcs and then a monstrous Balrog. Oops.

Did he mean to summon a Balrog? Of course not. Did he summon a Balrog? He did.

Were his intention and the result connected? They were not. Were his act and the result connected? They were.

Even in fiction (good fiction), facts are in dialogue with reality. Intent is interesting, but acts are facts.

The fact is, unless you intervene somehow to alter natural phenomena, sex can lead to babies.

And another fact is, babies are complex and wonderful. And so wise people conclude that every child is a reminder that God is with us. Emmanuel: that’s Hebrew meaning “Emmanuel.” Not every child is named Emmanuel, but every child reveals that God is with us, with love and determination.

 

But also:

Every person who shows up in our lives – hungry – including but not limited to babies – is an invitation: Emmanuel.

Every person who shows up in our lives – thirsty – including but not limited to babies – is an invitation: Emmanuel.

Every person who shows up in our lives – stranger, having trouble communicating details – including but not limited to babies – is an invitation: Emmanuel.

Every person who shows up in our lives – without warm clothing – including but not limited to babies – is an invitation: Emmanuel.

Every person who shows up in our lives – sick – including but not limited to babies – is an invitation: Emmanuel.

Every person who shows up in our lives – in prison or trapped, stuck unless helped – including but not limited to babies – is an invitation: Emmanuel.

Emmanuel. The prophet Isaiah said that a child would be come, born of a virgin, and he would be called Emmanuel, meaning God is with us. When this child was born, Joseph said he would be called Jesus, meaning one who saves. Emmanuel, also named Jesus, comes!

 

That’s the stubborn truth: Emmanuel. Whether we ask for it or not: Emmanuel. Whether we intend it or not: Emmanuel. Whether we ask for it or not: Emmanuel.

 

O come, O come, Emmanuel!