“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the rose it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.”  Isaiah 35:1-2

Isaiah predicted that once the creation hears that the Creator God is coming to visit in person, the wilderness shall act out of character for the wilderness.  Upon receiving the good news of God’s concern for our predicament, the wilderness will begin to imitate God’s worshipful people.

The desert shall deviate from its usual mode of being.  The wild animals shall abandon their customary conduct.  A transformation is going to occur that resembles the transformation we see when spring follows the winter.  Recall that when warm days arrive, we see the blooming of the plants, and the beauty of the lilies.  The earth’s face is changed and the wilderness is renewed and comes alive with living streams and gushing springs when spring arrives.  Similarly, when Christ comes, water, which is unheard of in the desert, will permeate the whole desert environment.

The natural senses, including seeing and hearing will be restored not only to the animals but also to those humans who have lost their way in the desert.  Bodies that were feeble and lame will be strengthened, and will begin to leap with joy.  Tongues that were tied will be loosened and begin to give praise to God.  In the wilderness—where humans did not typically build roads for fear that people would not survive a building project, nor survive a journey through the desert—a super highway will emerge, and it will be called the way of Holiness.  That is how it is going to be when Jesus Christ is born, the glory of God is going to be manifested in nature, reflecting the people of God in worship.

During this Advent season, let us not be out-distanced by the wilderness and the deserts of antiquity, nor out-performed by the wildernesses that surround us today.  Let us make certain that the desert places do not give praise for God’s faithfulness more vigorously than we do.  Let us make certain that the wilderness of our own day with its superhighways and multiple media is not more optimistic about what is possible in the world than the church of Christ, since it is our job to set the standard for faith, hope, and praise for God’s goodness.

We should lead the wilderness and so lead the world in practicing faith.    This world in which we live is a desert place in so many respects.  The world should look to the church of Christ to see joy personified, to see beloved community in action, and to see hope in God despite the bad news that is so strident in the world.  At Christmas, the church of Christ should retrieve our rightful place as the mountain of the Lord, which is higher than all the mountains; as the salt of the earth, and the light of the world.  We are God’s people walking in the light of the Lord, keeping hope alive, praising God for future blessings, setting the example for faith in what God has done and will do.