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	1st Reading
	Psalm
	2nd Reading
	Gospel
	Written Transcript of Homily
	Footnotes

We're just, looking at this gospel of course, and it just upsets people that poor John the Baptist had to eat locusts.

There is a theory.

That it was actually the locust-being….which what we call carob.

Which is a substitute for chocolate, so, it actually doesn't sound so bad.

He's eating honey and health food chocolate… he's got leather—a camel hair coat, and a real leather belt.
 
 

It's, it's...you know.

I don't think that's quite the scripture means… but that's not what I want to talk about. I want to pick on something very obscure.

Strap yourselves in.

Ushers, lock the doors.

…just kidding.

In the psalm we read that "Kindness and truth shall meet, justice and peace shall kiss."
It's a lovely, lovely idea.
 
 

But what is it saying?

Well, usually I teach you a little Greek…tonight it will be a little Hebrew.

A little Hebrew? What brought on so high?

At least they laugh at the jokes.
 
 

"Kindness and truth shall meet", well truth is truth.  In Hebrew, that's (? ? ? ) That just means it's the truth. That's what we mean by "amen", it's a form of the word "truth".

And, when you come up and I say "Body of Christ" and you say "Amen", you're saying "I believe" but more you're saying, "its truth".

It's a confession of faith…that we don't have to discuss too much.

But truth can be very difficult… I mean really.
 
 

I remember I use to have a friend and I use to ask him his opinion on certain things…

Especially when I was working in the Spanish-speaking community, I'd say… "Liu, what do you think about?"

And he'd look at me and say, "Simon, want me to tell you the truth?" and I'd said, "No, I want you to lie."

You know, you ask somebody do you like this tie, do you want my opinion, or do you want me to make your life easier…

"Does this dress make my….knees look fat?"

Something like that.

We don't want to hear the truth; we want people to agree with us.

The truth can be kind of difficult.

We all say we want it, but I never met anyone who wanted it unvarnished. Including myself.

So, kindness and truth shall meet.

That's a bit of a stretch.

Kindess and truth rarely meet.

I mean, how many of us have decided to be kind to our children, and we look back wish we should have told them more of the truth?
That's a difficult thing… …because we don't reconcile them.

And this song talks about the ( ? ? ? ) age.

When kindness and truth will meet.

The word, "kindness" is a very interesting word, it's a word used in the text.

It's (? ? ?), (? ? ? ) means "more than the law requires".

It is translated often, "Grace".

This is where St. Paul gets his phrase.

"Grace and truth be with you, in our Lord Jesus Christ."

He uses that in the epistles as a greeting.

Then we read a little further, "Justice and peace shall kiss."

Well that's fine...justice and peace…

If you think about that too, they don't get along either.

Justice and peace…

And in our world, they don't get along.

You know?

There will be people who will do anything for the sake of peace.

Then there are people say that's just not fair.

And they can' tlet something go.
 
 

Ever been in that situation?

Just let it go.

For the sake of peace, just let it go.

But that's not fair!

Justice and peace, even in our sense don't get along.

But they get along even less in Hebrew.

The word is ( ? ? ), Justice.

The rabbi say that the just man, the (???), the good deeds are always the bad deeds.

And it always involves generosity.

(? ? ?) always involves giving away your money.

Well, peace is a fascinating word.

Because, when we think of "peace", we think of "peace and quiet".

But the word ( ? ? ?) in Hebrew is a lot more than "peace and quiet", it means having everything go your way. You know? That's ( ? ?), you're doing well.

You know, have you heard that story of the old man in the hospital. And the nurse is fluffing his pillow and she asks him "are you comfortable, sir?" and he said, "I make a good living".

Ehh…

I don't think this joke will go over the 8am, certainly….

That's, that's ( ? ? ), that's peace.

I make a good living, things are good!
Well, you know, have you ever thought you'd got a dollar head of the game, and then some relative got sick?

Justice and peace don't always get along.

Kindness and truth rarely get along.

And the promise is that they'll get along.

Well, tell me how.

In the first reading, from the book of the prophet Isaiah, "comfort my people" then a voice cries out in the desert, "prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in a wasteland a highway for our God. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low. The rugged land shall be made a plain. The rough country, a broad valley, and then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.  And all people shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

This is a pretty common occurrence that the prophet's referring to.

When the king decided he was going to visit his kingdom, his dominions, a herald would be sent out saying, "make straight a way of the King."

In other words, your town was responsible for the road.

You had to fill in the potholes… and level out the areas that had gotten out of control.

Make straight in the desert, the highway for God, that every pothole be filled – you could read that.

And every speed bump shall be made low.

The rugged land shall be made flat, for the king is coming.

And then he goes ont to say, "Go up to the mountain and shout glad tidings, here is your God."

In other words, it isn't just a king, it's God.

There is a song that is sung at Passover, which you wouldn't associate with Christmas, but if you have ever been to a Passover, you've heard this song, it's called ( ? ? ), "Isn't it enough" , wasn't it is enough that he rescued us from slavery, and wasn't it enough we passed through the red sea ( ? ? ).

Wasn't it enough that this happened, but He did this?

Well, the birth of Christ was the end in that sense.

None of it was enough, it wasn't enough!

Until He sent His only begotten son. That's ( ? ?? )

( ? ? ) Is more than the law requires. God has done more than what is required.

And in God's doing more than require….he assures us of our own well-being.

You know, when I think about my own life, when I fail to be generous, why do I fail to be generous?
Well I'm afraid there won't be enough.
 

Well…there will be enough.

You have a father who loves you so much that He gave you His only begotten son.

There will be enough.

Things might be difficult, but there will be enough.

God Himself is coming, and that is enough.

Kindness and truth shall meet.

Well…ever wanted to tell somebody off?
You don't have to worry about it, God will take care of it.

This is a hard, hard lesson, I think

But it's a true lesson.

We can afford to be kind because ultimately everyone will see the truth.

To be a Christian…is to believe.

That God is responsible for justice… and in that sense, there will be enough.

My well-being is not effective, but my time and my resources are put upon, God will provide.

And the first part, "kindness and truth shall meet" – I don't have to tell them off.

God will tell them off.

I'm responsible for kindness.

You know…

We don't think about this because we are so accustom to it.

Kindness is a much underrated virtue.

"Kindness", we take it for granted.

But you know, compassion, ( ? ?? ) and kindness  are not natural to the fallen state of man.

At least, not the fall and state of this man.

And in the religions of the world, compassion and kindness are not taken for granted.

It was the Jews who taught us compassion, because God taught them compassion.

It's always interesting to meet….to find a culture where Christ has not lived, and to find one's personal dignity is everything, and one's wealth is everything, and one's family is everything.

Why should I be kind to them? Why do they deserve it?

We, who are raised in Christian cultures, in Jewish cultures, in ( ? ? ) Cultures, we take for granted that kindness is natural to humanity, but it is not.

And you know what? When I let go of Christ, kindness is not natural to me

Have you ever thought about it?

Galatians, 5th chapter, the fruits the Holy spirit are these:
Love, peace, patients, joy, *kindness*, and humility..
 
 

Where God dwells a sign of it is joy, and a sign of it is kindness.

You know, this Christmas season, I don't want to harp on this… sure you've seen enough of this on the news…
 
 

..but you literally take your life in your hands when you go the shopping malls these days.

That tragic story about, it was the same day, a guard was trampled to death, in a wal-mart frenzy. This happened…
 

In the same day, two people got into an altercation in the parking lot, and both men pulled out their revolvers and shot each other over a fight their wives were having.

These things happened!

And of course these things happen all the time…

I don't know if you've been to Toys r Us yes, you take your life in your hands, you know?
And of course, it's snowing…

Now I don't think this happens in Skokie, but back in Chicago, people would use their lives in parking lots.

A lot of you have lived in Chicago… there's an old Chicago ritual… you dig out your parking spot, and put the kitchen chairs out, and save your spot – but God help you if you….of course it's illegal, but God help if you someone comes along and moves your kitchen chairs.

Well…

People lose their lives over those.

When we are put the test, we revert to the falling state in where justice and peace do not meet. And kindness and truth do not meet.

This is a tall order.

And it is impossible for us to fill it unless we understand that part of the reading.

God is in hands.

And St. Paul says elsewhere, "Let is be known on how much you can put up with. Because the Lord is near."

You and I cannot put up with very much.

Unless the Lord is near.

So, how do we achieve that (????) age in our own life? By practicing the nearness of the Lord.

That it is Christ for whom we do this thing.

And one more story and I'll finish…
 

I remember one of my students were ordained a priest, and we would always have someone come back from the newly ordained priests and preach to the young men at the college to inspire them, and encourage them.

And this young man, who I dearly loved, and still do, he's not very young anymore. He's an old priest. And I'm a much older priest.

And he said, "it's so great to have a job where everybody likes you."
And I thought to myself, "Oh Lord, I hope he's still a priest 10 years from now."

And I use to tell my students "Don't become a priest if you want to help people, be a social worker if you want to help people. Because after a while, people will make you crazy" –isn't that true?

You know…

Everybody makes everybody crazy.

Your priest makes you crazy.

…his long sermons and (? ? ? ) chanting.

And you make the priests crazy, well.. you don't, you're really very nice, I must admit.

I've lucked out.

But believe me, I've been in Churches where they've made me crazy.

Why should we do this?

We do it for the Lord….Because the Lord is near, and the Lord asks this for us.

Well that priest figured it out that he was doing it for God, and now he's a very fine priest.

I said one more story, ONE more story…

You've heard this one.

Remember this pastor, an old Pentecostal pastor, who I learned so much from.

He told a story that when he was a young man…

His congregation was just expanding and expanding.

And they needed to build a new church and to save a little money; the men at the congregation were going to dig the foundation. This was in Georgia. 

Which was this hard, compact clay, which was harder to work with than stone, you put the pick-axe in it, and you take the pick-axe out, and the clay hasn't moved.

Well, this young pastor decided he'd impress the congregation that he was a regular fellow, and he went down the diggings and hoped into the trench with them and began to dig with them.

And forgetting his clerical dignity.

Well, they of course, one by one all got a cup of coffee.

And he's in that trench, saying "Lord, these guys, they don't have any respect for the pastor!"

And that little voice that speaks inside said, "Bob, who are you doing this for?"

"I'm doing this for you, Lord! I'm doing it for you…"

Well if you're doing it for me, why aren't you enjoying it.

The Lord is near, that's the message of Christmas.

Comfort my people, your God is near.

And if you really perceive that, then…

Justice and peace do meet, because there's enough, enough to go around.

And kindness and truth kiss.

Because, well… God will tell them the truth.

All I have to do is be kind.

Now admittedly, especially with our children, a hard truth with an exclamation point after is necessary.

But when we go to the K-Mart, and when we are standing in the line or in the traffic jam…rejoice, because even in the traffic jam or the checkout line, the Lord is near.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.