8th December 2024
Liminal
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.”
Luke 1:76-77 (NRSVUE)
You, like me, may be unfamiliar with the word ‘liminal’. I confess that when I came across it recently, I had to grab a dictionary and look it up. Apparently, it means: ‘between or belonging to two different places or states’. So what, you might well ask, does that have to do with the price of fish?
I encountered this word when reading a commentary on Zechariah’s song – the passage in chapter 1 of Luke’s gospel where the brand new father of just-born John the Baptist receives his voice back after being struck dumb by the angel Gabriel many months earlier. Filled with the Holy Spirit, a prophetic poem flows from Zechariah’s mouth as he gazes with delight upon his newborn son.
Zechariah’s song prophesied that John would prepare the way for “a mighty savior” (Luke 1:69). The Messiah, moreover, who would rescue the descendants of Abraham from the hands of their enemies, that they “…might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness in his presence all our days.” (vv.73-75).
While John the Baptist did indeed prepare the way for the Messiah, much of Zechariah’s prophetic song has yet to be fulfilled. And we, like him, find ourselves existing in a liminal space, what theologian Elizabeth Webb calls, ‘that moment of already and not-yet.’ Because Advent is a place where Christ’s light has already come, but we await, in his second coming, ‘the light that has yet to shine in its fullest measure.’ 1
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to demonstrate what kingdom living is like, even when we don’t yet live in the fullness of the kingdom. As citizens of heaven, we stand as beacons of salt and light in a broken world and share the hope that we have with those who have little, or no hope.
It is a challenging task, but we are not left to do it alone: “Because of the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (vv. 78-79).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to bless humankind with peace, forgiveness, and the promise of everlasting life. Help us while we await his second coming to, in turn, be a blessing to those you send our way. In Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.
1 Elizabeth Webb, Commentary on Luke 1:68-79, https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/second-sunday-of-advent-3
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Study by: Peter Mill About the author: |
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Local congregation:
Grace Communion International Central Glasgow
Garnethill Room
Conference Suite
St Andrews West
260 Bath Street
Glasgow
G2 4JP
Meeting time:
Sunday 11:15 am
Local congregational contact:
Peter Mill
Email: edinburgh@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church