As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;”
Stay awake for sanctuary!
“…the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make these paths just,'”
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness,
In places where the cries of marginalized could be heard –
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
For us or for them?
Mayhap to whomever could hear him.
Advent calls for us to awaken to these cries.
Stay awake for sanctuary!
Who is preparing the way for you?
Who will make your path just?
Who will appear in the wilderness with you?
Who will proclaim repentance for the forgiveness of sins?
For me it was the undocumented youth who passed through the shadows to the streets shouting, Undocumented, Unafraid!
Those fierce activists who took over government offices
and public spaces with sit ins and rallies,
Fighting for the right for an education.
Fighting for deferred action,
Fighting for our families.
The fearlessness of those who prepare the way,
knowing the consequences may be malaise.
Repression, detention, deportation –
All the while knowing that to NOT step out of the shadows means a silent death.
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way…”
So they prepared and continue to prepare the way for us all,
Calling the world to greater repentance,
resistance of the status quo.
Stay awake for sanctuary!
Remember the Other and our common humanity.
Forgiveness of sins and transformation of sinful systems.
Sins that deny our sister and brother,
Sins that divide and conquer,
Sins that put people into early graves.
They prepare the way to something better –
Calling for Sanctuary;
the Other world that is possible;
one without metal bars, bans, or walls.
Are you prepared for such a reality?
There is a voice crying out in the wilderness:
“‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make these paths just.’”
– alli
Read more about what’s happening with DACA:
- Four possible DACA options as clock ticks
- The Morning Bell: DACA students rally at Skydance Bridge
