Second Sunday of Advent Reflection by The Rev. Anna Page
“God in the Wilderness” (Mark 1:1-8)
Many people of faith have equated our COVID-19 environment to being “in the wilderness” – a location characterized by uncertainty, expectation, journeying, and finding God in unexpected places. Advent then draws us even further into the wilderness as we’re cast into a liturgical period of waiting. While this can sound daunting, as Christ followers, we find hope, encouragement, and solace from this wilderness imagery.
Our Gospel for today gives us this Good News. We find hope in the wilderness because it is from the wilderness that the coming of Christ was prophesied by John, a man who never lost his faith while in the wilderness. We find encouragement because it is from the wilderness that we were promised the Holy Spirit, our guide and advocate. We find solace, because it is from the wilderness that we were invited to participate in God’s family through baptism.
So, whether you find yourself in the literal wilderness, spiritual wilderness, or some combination thereof – take heart. Hope, encouragement, and solace abound. May you find God in the wilderness because God is there.
The Rev. Anna Page is a priest in the Episcopal Church and Captain in the United States Army. She is canonically resident in the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts but serves as the Curate at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Raleigh, NC. When not on Zoom, Anna enjoys lifting heavy things, tending to her plants, and renovating her camper van.
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Website: https://reverendannapage.weebly.com
