The Advent Calendar is over

Day 8 - Zechariah
Zechariah – a reflection




Zechariah

A fresco in the church of Maria Novella, Florence. The angel pleading for his attention; Zechariah, disturbed, defensive, glancing sideways from the altar, unwilling to take in what he is hearing. The onlookers, some whispering, others disapproving, some pretending not to notice.

Why, when it is what he has always wanted, can't he bring himself to rejoice?

He is one of many. The child full of dreams, the ambitious twenty-something, the idealistic graduate, the world at one's feet. But something happens to disempower them: the system, societal structures, poverty, loss, abuse, the economy, injury, disablement, or just realising they don't have the talents they thought.

Sometimes the shock throws them off kilter, distorts their mental health, a term we are learning today to interpret more widely, from anxieties and depression to serious disorder. Sometimes there are physical symptoms, like Zechariah's loss of speech.

So they settle for less, get through life, don’t expect too much, become a 'jobsworth', disappointed with their lot, feeling a bit slighted, always an undercurrent of resentment. When they teeter on the brink of a new joy, a new chance, new freedom, they cannot embrace it. Not only are they unable to believe it is true, they don't want it to be true, fearing change, challenge, inner turmoil.

Like the onlookers in the fresco, others can disapprove, marginalise, dismiss, be glad they are not like them.

Yet it is possible, whatever our age, to break free like Zechariah, who, when he was able to accept the good news, not only found his voice but words poured out to form the magnificent song that became not only the anthem for his age but has been sung ever since by the church:

'Praise to the Lord, the God of Israel! for he has turned to his people and set them free'.

Invite friends and family to open our Advent calendar by sharing https://churchofscotland.adventcalendar.com

Let’s keep in touch. If you've not done so already, sign-up below for our e-news service. When you submit, you can also opt-in for daily Advent alerts with a link to each new film. 
Oops, you are missing a required field marked in red.

Window is closed


Terms

By signing-up on this page with your email address, you consent to receiving daily email alerts during Advent this year (1-24 December 2017) which invite you to open each day’s new Advent window. If you also check the box agreeing to receive regular news email updates from the Church of Scotland, you consent to the Church sending you its monthly e-newsletter and, from time to time, other relevant news and information.