The Nature of Hope
\nSermon for the 1st Advent (December 1, 2002)<\/b><\/p>\n
Text: Matthew 21, 1-9
\nWhen they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount
\nof Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, „Go into
\nthe village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied
\nthere and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. „If anyone
\nsays anything to you, you shall say, ‚The Lord has need of them,‘ and
\nimmediately he will send them.“<\/p>\n
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: „SAY
\nTO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‚BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND
\nMOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'“<\/p>\n
The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, and brought
\nthe donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the
\ncoats.<\/p>\n
Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting
\nbranches from the trees and spreading them in the road.<\/p>\n
The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,
\n„Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME
\nOF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!“<\/p>\n
Dear parishioners!
\nWe have been waiting for such a long time! Through the sad November, through
\nrecessions and records of insolvencies, through the „Pisa shock“-and
\nall that in a time of economic depression and various other depressions.
\nAnd now that the first candel of the advent wreath is lit we hope. In
\nthe declining daylight, this warm and comforting light tells us how new
\nlife will spring in this forgotten place. But that’s another story.
\nThese days are about hope. This is no simple thing. Hope has in part to
\ndo with promises that lie ahead. This makes hope a delicate thing. Indeed,
\nso much has been said in the last fall about a new spring conjuncture.
\nBut flourishing hope can quickly turn into to burning anger-this is also
\none aspect of our sermon.
\nIt is worth questioning whether hope has to do only with promises lying
\nin the future. To a certain extend, it is probably true. People who arouse
\nhope will at some point have to make them true.
\nThe story of our sermon is about this. Jesus marches in Jerusalem for
\nthe jubilating crowd. However, we witness a dramatic shift in the second
\npart of the story. The mood of the masses has a complicated structure.
\nIn the end, we read about the cross on which the once welcome guest will
\nsoon be crucified to. But, that too is another story.<\/p>\n
However, a question remains: will the time we spend waiting and hoping
\nbe robbed of its value through the possible turn of events? If the answer
\nis to be „no,“ we will have to find some reasons.<\/p>\n
In the fall of 1989 a few people, then a few hundreds, and finally a
\nhuge crowd of people fled to the ambassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
\nin Prague. The hope and expectations they had when leaving the GDR were
\nprobably different and manifold. Why should we put barriers to our hopes
\nif we want to blow up borders?
\nAt that time, Hans Dietrich Genscher, the then foreign minister, came
\nto the Czech capital. He wanted to inform the public on the stand of the
\ndiplomatic negotiations. In the evening of September 30, he stepped on
\nthe balcony of the Lobkovicz palace. People remained quiet as he began
\nto speak: „I came today“, he said, „to tell you“-complete
\nsilence-„that your departure has today been…“. He could not
\nfinish his sentence. The people waiting had understood. They didn’t need
\nany more information. For this one moment there were no more borders.
\nWe can meanwhile get the pictures of the following days and weeks at the
\nGoethe-Institut or on Spiegel-TV. We can see the special trains, which
\nbrought people from Prague to the West via Dresden; we see tears, tears
\nof joy, hands greeting from packed trains.
\nAll this was thirteen years ago. Those who then left the GDR and the Czech
\ncapital have long reached their destination. Have they reached the destination
\nthey had hoped for? Who knows?
\nOne thing is sure, they arrived somewhere. Through sad November days,
\ninsolvencies, economic depression and various other depressions, they
\nare also somehow still on the way.
\nA monument dedicated to the desire for freedom was errected in the garden
\nof the Lobkovicz palace. The Czech artist David Cerny placed a Trabi on
\nstilts. The monument stands there as a reminder that fences can be climbed
\nover and gates opened.
\nA board play entitled „escape into the German ambassy in Prague“
\nwas also placed on the marketplace. The pieces are made of small plastic
\ntrabis. With the help of those pieces, the players must overcome the traps
\nplaced by the policemen and cross the borders. Instead of the usual „six,“
\nthe players can see Genscher’s face on the dice. The face enables to get
\ndirectly to the last square named „freedom.“
\nWe cannot deny that hope doesn’t always matches reality. But that’s another
\nstory. However, I would categorically deny that the moments in which there
\nwere no more borders have no more value.
\nThe text of our sermon tells the story of the moment when there are no
\nmore borders, nothing but the moment when all the stories end. But it
\nalso tells about the moment when hope becomes true. The Prophet Zacharia
\nproclaimed „Daughter of Zion, be rejoice!“ The essence of this
\nhope was exposed to all possible objections for over five hundred years.
\nThis moment when border disappear comes with the entry of Jesus in Jerusalem.
\nHe is there.
\nThe story of the nativity which takes place in what seems to be a forgotten
\nplace is announced in the verses of the advent. Although this is not today’s
\nstory, it shares something with the one that concerns us today. From his
\nentry in Jerusalem Jesus eventually reaches Golgatha. Although this is
\nnot today’s story, today’s story leads to this one.
\nWhere stories continue, they lead to sad November days, economic depression
\nand various other depressions. All this becomes real in one moment, in
\nthe moment of hope. At the same time, this moment is beyond the outcome
\nof the story. We thus believe that the story cannot end in Golgatha.<\/p>\n
Johann Sebastian Bach expressed this in the choral music of his Christmas
\noratorio. He set the beginning with drums and trumpets. The music that
\naccompanied the entry of Jesus in Jerusalem must have sound liked that.
\nBach’s choir then sing: “ how shall I receive thee“–not in
\na triumphal way, but on the melody of „“O Sacred Head, Now Wounded.“
\nThere are many stories that have to do with the text of our sermon: the
\nstory of the nativity and the story of the Passion. And it leads us-just
\nas people’s stories do-to sadness and pain. But in the end it would be
\nwrong to remain silent about the warm, conforting light of the advent
\nthat brighten up all other stories so well.<\/p>\n
Therefore: Fling wide the portals of your heart \/ make it a temple, set
\napart \/ from earthly use for heaven’s employ \/ adorned with prayer and
\nlove and joy.<\/p>\n
Amen<\/p>\n
Ulrich Braun
\nPastor in G\u00f6ttingen-Nikolausberg
\neMail: ulrich.braun@nikolausberg.de<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n