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Letters from the Land of Advent: God of the Stumps

"A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch shall grow out of his roots.The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
    the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the spirit of counsel and might,
    the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord." - Isaiah 11:1-3

 Tree stumps are pernicious in so many ways.  When we moved into our current home, we did so as the recipients of several trees, including a massive chestnut tree that stood just outside an older out-building we first used as a garage.  The out-building needed to come down and it seemed logical for the chestnut tree to come down with it.  It's majestic size was crowding out a view to the back part of our property, and each season it would drop a sizeable amount of burs on the ground.  The decision to take it down seemed logical, but I failed to consider the difficulties I was leaving for myself.

 For one thing, the tree stump was perpetually difficult to mow around.  To simply mow over the stump risked chunking the mower blades, but to trim around the stump required getting off the mower and getting out the weed-whacker.  The even deeper problem, though, was that the stump just wasn't very attractive to look at.  That once glorious and mighty chestnut tree was now an unsightly part of our yard, definitely not flourishing but also not invisible.  

 One of the readings that comes up often in this Advent season is this passage at the top from Isaiah 11, and it's a passage that means more to me now that I've had some experience with tree stumps.  Isaiah, the prophet, must have had some experience with them too.  For he chose the perfect image for his people.

 The majestic hope and promise of God's Kingdom was still very much alive in Isaiah's heart when he wrote this passage.  He was still close enough to the memories and plans for his people to know that God's desire through King David was to establish a mighty chestnut of godly rule, reaching out and bestowing peace and justice upon the world around them.  The tree of Jesse was intended to be a mighty tree.

 But all Isaiah and his people had left was ... well, a stump.  The stump of Jesse.

 The promised Kingdom had been mismanaged and corrupted and defiled by the mistakes we're bound to make.  Family grievances.  Weaknesses and transgressions.  Failed relationships.  Injustice towards the weak and oppressed.  Unfulfilled expectations and hopes.  All of these whittled down that once mighty tree God promised Isaiah and his people, and all that remained was but a stump.

 Are you aware of the stumps in your own life?  

 Those places that are not easy to look at but are also unavoidable?

 Those places that are hard to navigate around emotionally?  

 I'm aware.  

 And it seems like every December I can't help but be especially aware of these in my life.  As we get closer to the end of the year, it's hard not to see and feel the "stumps" of our own life.  

 The pain we caused others.

 The losses we suffered.

 The projects we didn't finish.

 Those sins we still can't seem to put behind us.

 Those places in relationship where there's still injury and not peace.

 The stumps.

 Which is why the good news of Isaiah is ever needed, which is why Isaiah 11 will continue to be read:  

 A shoot shall come out ... 

 The good news of this season is not that our losses and hurts and failures are hidden or removed.  That leaves the work up to us, and the best we can do is to try perpetually to remove the stump.

 Instead, something else occurs.  Something better.

 A new shoot of life is promised, a new growth of equity and righteousness.

 Out of the stump, something promising and glorious.  

 This season, may you take comfort in knowing that you don't have to hide your stumps.  You don't have to manage them or dress them up like Charlie Brown's poor little Christmas tree.

 No, the best news is to remember the good news.  Just trust that from even the stumps, God is doing a new thing.  God will do a new thing.  And what seems impossible or cursed will be beautiful and blessed.

 ~Wes

        

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