A new way of looking at things

2nd Sunday of Advent
Cycle A
Gospel: Mt. 3: 1-12
Photo courtesy of Advent Devotions

A researcher filled a glass with water halfway, then he presented it to two subjects. He asked them this question, "How do you describe this glass?" One said, "The glass is half-empty." The other said, "The glass is half filled." Which one is correct among the two?

We look at reality in different ways. Noticing the negative things that are happening in this world, one could give a conclusion that this world is hopeless, and therefore, it justifies every act of self-survival, "It doesn't matter whether others suffer and die, as long as I and my family live." But others would treat the negative things in a different way, "Everything is not hopeless, I can still do what I have to do, not for myself but for my children.

We may look at the world in a negative way, but for God it is totally different. Ever since the beginning, He has a plan, a plan of salvation for us, a world where like in the first reading, "The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them (Is 11:6). All people live in harmony, peace, in hope, and in joy. This is a God who promises justice and peace and the poor will be taken cared of. He sends His very own Son to bring this to fulfillment.

Everything then is not hopeless. Let us join the work of the Lord and follow St. John the Baptist who cried out, "Make straight the way of the Lord!" Let us start with ourselves by heeding to the will of the Lord to bring salvation and hope into this world.