ADVENT i
OUR journey sets out from God in our creation, and returns
to God at the final judgement. As the bird rises from the earth to
fly, and must some time return to the earth from which it rose; so God
sends us forth to fly, and we must fall back into the hands of God at last.
But God does not wait for the failure of our and the expiry of our
days to drop us back into his lap. He goes himself to meet us and
everywhere confronts us. Where is the countenance which we must finally
look in the eyes, and not be able to turn away our head? It smiles
up at Mary from the cradle, it calls Peter from the nets, it looks on him
with grief when he has denied his master. Our judge meets us at every
step of our way, with forgiveness on his lips and succour in his hands.
He offers us these things while there is yet time. Every day opportunity
shortens, our scope for learning our Redeemer’s love is narrowed by twenty-four
hours, and we come nearer to the end of our journey, when we shall fall
into the hands of the living God, and touch the heart of the devouring
fire.
