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Luke 1:46-55
There is an interesting song that’s been getting heavy play on the radio lately. It’s by a fairly young artist named John Mayer. He is 29 years old and has already won 3 Grammy awards – two for having the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 2002 and 2004, and last year winning for Song of the Year with a song called “Daughters.” Well anyway, his most recent release is what caught my attention. It’s a song called, “Waiting on the World to Change,” and that is pretty much the chorus, “We keep waiting for the world to change.” As I listened to it on the radio, I thought to myself, “Oh man, this would be a great song for Advent.” I mean, this is really what Advent is all about right? – waiting and hoping for the world to change. I’m going to play the song for you in a little bit, but just hearing it the one time got me to thinking about all the things in this world that need to be changed. I mean, I have a passion and a heart for homeless people and people who are really struggling to make in the world and I would love for the world to be changed to where everyone had a job that would pay them a living wage. I would also love to see the world changed so that all of the starving people in Africa and other parts of the world could be fed. I think that there is too much war in the world and I would love to see the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Palestine come to an end. And these were just the top three things that immediately popped into my head. I know that if we all just stopped for a second to think about it, there would be lots of things in this world that need to be changed. This becomes very obvious if you’ve ever traveled to a third world country or even to the inner city of St. Louis. And they don’t just have to be global things either. There are lots of things in our personal lives that we’d love to change. I know that many of you have had a really tough year and are looking forward to putting 2006 behind you. Some of you already know that next year is going to be a lot harder than you ever hoped for and you’re not sure how you’re going to make it. Our world is full of hurt, shame, guilt, and sorrow, and on some level, all of us are in that same boat as John Mayer – we are just waiting on the world to change. And I guess the reason that this song struck me was because at first it sounded so much like Mary’s song in today’s gospel lesson. Mary’s song, also known as the Magnificat, is about waiting for the world to change. She believes that there will be a fulfillment of what God has promised to do: scattering the proud, bringing down the powerful, lifting up the lowly, filling the hungry with good things, sending the rich away empty, helping his servants, and remembering his mercy. We sang a musical paraphrase of Mary’s song just a moment ago when we sang the “Canticle of the Turning” as our psalm with the refrain, “My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn. Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near, and the world is about turn.” In other words, Mary was waiting very expectantly for the world to change. There are two common threads that I picked up between Mary’s song and John Mayer’s song. In both instances there is a certain amount of powerlessness and frustration, feeling like there is nothing that we “ordinary” people can do about a bad situation. For Mary, she is obviously a member of the lower class and feels more or less forgotten by those who are wealthy and powerful. As you’ll see, Mr. Mayer is frustrated because he is young and doesn’t feel like he can do anything to change the world. But both of their songs also contain a lot of hope amidst the frustration, which is why they are appropriate songs for Advent – the season of hope. They realize that the situation they are facing is not the end, there is something better just around the corner. There is one major difference between the two songs however. John Mayer and Mary find their hope in two very different places. I’m going to play “Waiting on the World to Change” for you now and as you listen to these words, I ask you to think about the things in this world that you would like to see changed. I’m sure you’ll pick up on John Mayer’s frustration, but also see if you can figure out where you think his hope lies.
Waiting On The World To Change
The main difference between Mary’s song and the song we just heard is where they place their hope. John Mayer’s hope is in his generation – the younger folks who are just biding their time until all the older folks either die off or lose their power. I happen to be about the same age as Mr. Mayer, and I hate to say it, but I’m not as optimistic about our generation as he is. In fact, in addition to dealing with all the problems that we inherit from previous generations, I’m pretty sure we’ll create enough of our own problems as well. It’s that whole concept of sin and brokenness that is so hard to overcome, and while I love this song, I think his hope is misplaced. Perhaps that is why this song has a very bluesy feel to it. As for Mary, well, I’m sure she couldn’t play the guitar as well as John Mayer, but she sure can sing a good song also. Mary’s hope is in the only person that isn’t broken and won’t let her down. Mary’s hope is found in God. She recognizes what God has already done through her knowledge of the Scriptures and the Old Testament. She is also very familiar with what God is currently doing in her life. She is pregnant with promised Messiah and this has just been confirmed by an unborn John the Baptist and her older relative Elizabeth who didn’t even know she was pregnant. And Mary has also caught a glimpse of what God promises yet to do – change the world through the son that she is carrying in her belly. The hope that Mary has is good news. The hope that Mary has turns into a beautiful, joyful song full of praise and thanksgiving. The hope that Mary has is in her son, who will become Jesus the Messiah, the one who WILL change the world and who will scatter the proud, lift up the lowly, fill the hungry with good things, and remember his mercy all the way to the cross. The hope that Mary has magnifies the Lord and rejoices in God the Savior. The Magnificat is definitely not a blues song. Tonight is Christmas Eve. At worship, like Mary, we will be reminded of what God has done in the past. We will be given a chance to reflect on what God is currently doing in our lives. And, like Mary, we will joyfully celebrate because we have been given a glimpse into the future. As Christians, our hope is in the Lord. We are waiting for the world to change and tonight we get to meet the one who will change it.
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