One of the interesting things about going to Mass is seeing so many different kinds of people. The Church truly is made up of diverse peoples. There are people of all different ages, colors, languages, traditions and points of views. One of the most obvious aspects of a diverse people is their outward appearance. Some are tall; others are short; some are skinny; others are not-so-skinny. Some have hair; others do not.
Some people take great care in dressing for Mass; others are pretty casual. We all have our own look. My look is pretty casual. That doesn’t mean I don’t make decisions about how I am going to dress each day. Often times, I wake up and say to myself, “What will I wear today? Should I wear black or black? Maybe a different shade of black!” One time a student asked me why I wear black all the time. I said “it’s my school color.”
As much as we might care about the way we look or dress, God does not care. That outwards appearances don’t matter to God is evidenced by Jesus. Jesus hardly, if ever, made any kind of references to the way people looked or appeared. If anything Jesus chose to mingle with those who would have appeared to be very different from what was deemed acceptable in his day and age. Rather, Jesus paid close attention to what was hidden: that is, the heart and soul of people.
In the first reading, we hear Isaiah tell us, “not by appearance shall God judge.” God is not impressed with our wardrobe or how we manicure ourselves. God doesn’t care about our outward displays of piety or religiosity. God doesn’t care if we dress like or unlike other people.
When the Pharisees and Sadducees went out to see John the Baptist at the Jordan River, they were immediately noticeable. They wore distinctive clothing to demonstrate their holiness and status in Jewish society. But, John the Baptist, reflecting God’s attitude, was not impressed. He called them a “brood of vipers” and told them that God was more interested in their relationships with others. John tells his listeners that God judges us by the way we practice justice towards others; by our treatment of other people. Unlike our own justice system which can only judge us on the basis of outward appearances and actions, God will judge on the basis of the kind of relationships we have with others—that is—what is in our hearts.
That is the kind of justice John the Baptist followed when challenging the religious leaders when they came to check him out at the Jordan River. Even though he calls them a brood of vipers, he tells them that they can prove him wrong by giving evidence of their relationship with God and others. He tells them that they can repent and be baptized as an outward sign of their inward conversion of heart. He reveals to them that the Kingdom of God is concerned with internal conversion demonstrated by acts of mercy, justice and compassion.
600 years before John was calling people to repentance, Isaiah the prophet was talking about the kind of world that could be possible if people were truly in a right relationship with God and each other. Isaiah imagines a world where there would be no hatred or fear or war or suffering. Isaiah speaks of this possibility when he says quite poetically that, “the wolf will be a guest of the lamb; the leopard shall recline with the kid goat; the calf and lion shall graze together and the little child shall not be afraid of the cobra. “There shall be no harm on my holy mountain” says Isaiah about God’s Kingdom.
This vision of God’s Kingdom embraced by Isaiah and John the Baptist, is not necessarily so far removed from us. In fact, it is our belief that the Kingdom of God is already upon us—breaking into the world in small and, often times, hidden ways. This breaking in of the Kingdom occurs when people begin paying attention to their interior lives and, especially, this can shape our relationships.
The Kingdom is evident when we change the way we think about people. When we begin to look at people with kindness and compassion we are making the Kingdom a reality. When we treat someone with justice, we are providing the world with an experience of God’s presence. When we are willing to forgive and embrace others with unconditional love, there is God’s Kingdom.
Advent is a time when we can begin to reflect on how we can live out the potential for God’s Kingdom that is within us. As Christmas approaches, many people are put to the test. Christmas can be a time for celebrating relationships with others, including family, or it can be a time of bemoaning and worrying about the relationships we don’t have with others.
I think of an elderly man I know whose adult children have hardly ever visited or communicated with him. Yet, every Christmas they suddenly appear at the door of their father expecting to be greeted with open arms as if there’s nothing wrong. Is something wrong? Yes. They have failed to foster a loving relationship with their father. But, to his credit, the father remains patient. While he is hurt about his children’s and grandchildren’s lack of attention throughout the year, he rejoices when they show up at Christmas. He welcomes them with open arms and forgets their absence throughout the past year and enjoys their presence. This elderly gentleman is bringing the Kingdom of God to bear on his family. Whether they realize it or not, his willingness and ability to share unconditional love with them is teaching them about how God loves them and what God’s Kingdom will be like.
Or take the example of a young woman who has hurt her siblings through her words and actions. She continues to say terribly hurtful things to them. Even so, she wants to be warm and friendly to them during Christmas. Their desire is to shun her and to let her know just how hurtful she has been. Yet, they choose not to hold a grudge. They know what she has done and what she can be like, but they try to be genuinely welcoming when she comes around. These siblings realize that the Kingdom of God with its demand of mercy and forgiveness is more important than any human reason for holding a grudge.
Why should we be willing to overlook the sins of others and not pass judgment? Why should we forgive and open our arms in welcome of the one who has hurt us? Why should we try to make peace with those with whom we have had conflicts? Because that is how the Kingdom of God has treated us and that is the Kingdom that we are called to bring to others. Christ Jesus came among us to experience everything we experience. He was on the receiving end of distrust, hurtful words and injustice. Yet, he responded with the kind of love and mercy that only God’s Kingdom can practice. We would do well to live out the Kingdom that has already been planted within our hearts so that others can come to understand and embrace the same Kingdom that God wishes for all of us. We can begin doing this with and within our own families.
Not by appearance does the Lord judge, but by justice, kindness, compassion and mercy and the determination to let the presence of God prepare others for the Kingdom that is to come. This is the justice John the Baptist encouraged others to practice. This is the justice that Isaiah saw as governing the world. This is the justice that will bring God’s Kingdom closer to fulfillment this Christmas.