Messenger and Message: The Messenger of Delight

The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?  -  Malachi 3: 1b-2 (NRSV)

Greetings, my WUMFSA friends and readers. I am honored to be among this year’s Advent writers, and have been eager to find the season’s meaning in the lectionary readings for this, the second, week. The challenge of reflecting on Bible passages which would not necessarily be my comfortable first choices offers exciting opportunity for new understanding.

But I ask you, just what kind of an Advent message of inspiration is one supposed to discern from the verses printed above? Tantalizing us first with the promise of a messenger who delights us (the NJB describes the messenger as “the angel of the covenant for whom you long”). Then in a way pulling it all back, almost threatening us with bleak prophecy of what we should expect for ourselves from the anticipated event. Anticipation, yes, but also fear. For “who can endure the day of his coming?” Not I, I am certain, not I.

And so it might seem, not even the world itself. A world so obviously pathetically captive to the fear of what is—and what will be. A world that fears that it will not endure. For good reason. My fear for myself is fear for the world. Because of my children and grandchildren, because of all children, and because I know I have responsibility.

At the time of this writing (when the world seems as full of fear as ever before—perhaps even more so), I am filled with longing to believe in the messenger in whom I would delight. But I am also afraid—afraid that I will not be able to stand when the messenger appears. The message obviously holds terrifying risk as well as promise. And so some days it seems easier not to believe in the messenger. Not to believe hurts, but, with a little effort, the pain is suppressed into numbness.

But I am 69 years old, and I long to believe in the messenger of delight—for my frightened self and for the sake of a fearful world for which I am responsible. The final verses of today’s Malachi passage carry promise out of the terror: that though we may not be able to stand in the messenger’s coming, we are also guaranteed that all will be refined and purified in righteousness. We will be refined and purified. This is our hope, our desperate hope.