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The first reading on this second Sunday in Advent contains my favorite verse in the entire Bible: “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” Isaiah, the author of this poem, is an ancient Jewish prophet who offered words of comfort to the people living in exile. It has been said that a prophet’s job is to comfort the afflicted - but also to afflict the comfortable. I have always preferred comforting to afflicting.
My preference showed up in my parenting style. Believing the world would be tough enough on my children, I wanted to provide them with a safe, loving environment within our home. Yet I learned there were times when I needed to be a bit of an afflicter; particularly during my children’s teenage years. I found loving entails being willing to risk discomfort, being willing to sometime speak harsh words.
Yet “Comfort, give comfort” has remained my favorite verse, my default approach. I like to think that preference reflects God’s approach to me. In my life, I have found God most often to be, as Isaiah wrote,
Like a shepherd
he feed his flock
in his arms he gathers the lambs
carrying them in his bosom
and leading the ewes with care.
May we prepare the way of the Lord this year by allowing grace, which usually comforts but is also willing to afflict when needed, to flow through us.