“Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.”  Isaiah 40:4

Yesterday (Sunday) I came into the office early to prepare for preaching, and read verse 4.  BAM.  Lightning struck.  Or the Holy Spirit.  Either way, I read the above verse in a totally new light.  If it hadn’t been an hour before I was supposed to preach – then maybe everyone would have heard a totally different sermon.  And I’m not sure people would have loved it.

Because this time when I read Isaiah 40:4, instead of the good news I preached it as yesterday, I read it as a warning.

In light of the events of the last week, the continued injustices, the protests, the fear, the hate… this verse meant something different.

In light of more news about people being killed for standing up for what is right or challenging cartels in Mexico, this verse meant something new.

In light of my own ability to jump online to my instant access internet, in my heated home, after a nice hot healthy meal, and purchase Christmas gifts with little or no thought to the cost of any of it… this verse was drastically different.

See, what I read differently yesterday wasn’t so much about the people in the valley being brought up, or the people in rough ground being given smooth paths, but about the earth being made level.
Christ is coming into the world and everything is going to be made equal.
See if you’re in the valley, this is great news.
But, I’m guessing that’s not most of us… most of us are on the mountain.
And if you’re on the mountain, looking down into the valley, this new Kingdom that is coming will bring you face to face with those whom you perceive to be below you.
And God will ALWAYS take the side of the oppressed.
Which is really good news for the oppressed, but really dangerous news for everyone else.

As I said yesterday, Isaiah is a prophet, and the job of a prophet is to hold up a mirror and force us to be honest about what we see.
And for most of us, we are on a mountain.
We are not the oppressed, we’re the oppressor.
And I know, we don’t want to admit it.
But it is most likely true.

In these next few weeks… look in that mirror that Isaiah is holding up.
Be honest about how you really, truly treat those around you in the world: those who are different than you are, those who occupy a world that is not like your own.
And then ask yourself, when Christ comes this Christmas, where do you want to be?

Do you want to be lowered from your perch up on the mountain?
Or do you want to be raised up from the valley? And not raised because you’re suddenly oppressed but because you are down in the valley WITH those who are being oppressed.  Fighting for them, caring for them, being with them.

I know which one I want to be…