Advent Devotion

Zechariah 4:1-14; Psalm 18:1-20, 62, 126, 147:12-20; Revelation 4:9 – 5:5; Matthew 25:1-13"For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken.” Psalm 62:1–2“During Advent we anticipate and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In modern-day culture Christmas has become a season of consumption. As Christmas approaches we face many choices regarding shopping, schedules and more. In addition to consumer dilemmas we are faced with spiritual dilemmas. On one hand we want to observe Advent and wait for the Christ child; on the other we want to shop and wrap and bake and run ourselves ragged with all the trimmings.”*

I find myself facing my own spiritual dilemma this year. My thoughts and prayers are 3,400 miles south, focused on my Peruvian brothers and sisters in the Presbytery of Huanta, Peru.

I was blessed to participate in the 2008 and 2009 mission trips to Huanta sponsored by Sharon Church. Huanta is located in the Ayacucho Province of Peru, high in the Andes Mountains. This province was the center of the political violence that struck Peru from 1980 until 2000. By official accounts, over 60,000 Peruvians lost their lives or disappeared at the hands of Shining Path terrorists and the Peruvian military.

Several members of the Presbytery lost loved ones during this conflict. At one church in the Presbytery, six deacons were taken by terrorists from their modest sanctuary during their Sunday morning worship service, marched behind the sanctuary and shot. This year marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of their deaths. The simple but poignant tribute to this anniversary, consisting of a banner with their pictures and rocks painted with messages of peace, hope and love, was proudly displayed in the lobby of Radio Amauta this summer. It was a sight I will never forget.

What saw these precious people through these horrible times? What was the source of their inner strength? I posed these very questions to Samuel Montes, President of the Presbytery this past summer. His simple answer, “God saw us through the toughest times in our lives. He is alive and among us. God is our rock and our salvation.”

Our Peruvian brothers and sisters will celebrate the Advent season modestly, but firmly rooted in the infinite joy of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Am I or are they the more blessed?

I wish you a joyous Advent season centered in the peace, hope, love and joy that the birth of our Lord and Savior brings to each of us.Almighty God, the birth of your Son is yet another example that You are indeed our rock, our fortress and our salvation. We celebrate this wondrous event with joy with our brothers and sisters around the world. Grant us peace and comfort in the knowledge that you will always be with us. We offer this simple prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Randy Ross

* From the PC (USA)’s Just Living Series, “Ideas for Reclaiming Advent and Christmas”