In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

This morning we turn to our reading from the gospel of Luke. This is our first encounter with this gospel as we begin a brand new year in the life of the church and a brand new set of readings in the lectionary cycle.

For some of you Luke may be your favourite gospel of the four that we possess.
Certainly it stands in contrast to the gospel of Mark which we just finished. Mark’s world is rather austere, chaotic and violent moving at a rapid pace from place to place. But in Luke people go on journeys and Jesus spends a great deal of time patiently teaching parables to his disciples.

However, in our first encounter this morning we don’t seem to find any of that. It is as if we have caught Luke on a bad day. The storm clouds are gathering, heaven and earth are coming unglued. Signs indicate that things are coming to an end. This is apocalyptic literature or talk about the end times.

We are all familiar with the term “apocalypse”. But the way we use the word is very different from the Biblical tradition. Hollywood movies have led us to equate the apocalyptic with darkness, destruction, doom and gloom. In the Biblical tradition, apocalypse simply means “revelation” or “unveiling”.

It is a type of literature that emerged out of the community of faith who was in the midst of a historical crises. Out of the memory of catastrophes like the destruction of the temple and the city of  Jerusalem by the Romans (v.20-24) God’s people looked for some sign of God’s presence in the midst of destruction, oppression and persecution.

It is a type of literature that seeks to look behind the events of human history in order to see the mysterious workings of God. In hope they searched for the face of God who would fashion something new in the face of hatred and violence.
So what does the passage from Luke have to say to us today?

Well, upon first reading I would have to say absolutely nothing. We are not being oppressed. We are not being persecuted. We aren’t emerging out of a historical catastrophe. The greatest foe that we face is indifference to religion to in general and to Christianity in particular.

But perhaps I have been to hasty in my judgement, perhaps I have assumed too much. When we look at our present age and cast our gaze a little farther into the future what do we see? Epidemics, AIDS- a sickness so widespread and destructive that it is no longer called an epidemic but a pandemic. We look to the heavens and see global warming, the thinning of the ozone layer, ultra violet light causing cancer of the skin.

Maybe Luke chapter 21 does not seem so odd to us after all. It feels at times that the old world is breaking apart. Apocalyptic language confirmed by the headlines of the day. But this is not the only message found in our reading this morning. Jesus says, “when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

The passage is also a message of hope-Christian hope. But we should not confuse Christian hope with mere optimism-always look on the bright side of life.
Christian hope is grounded in a particular historical reality and that is Christ’s resurrection-it is an Easter hope. That in the end is the beginning. Hope for us means living each day, each ordinary moment of our lives in the presence of the resurrected Christ and stretching out to the future and the coming Kingdom of God.

For this reason we wait and hasten, we hope, we pray and we watch in the presence of the resurrected Christ. Today, we join Christians throughout the world in the simple act of gazing on a single burning flame. And while we hear the words of the Gospel and share in communion, this small light symbolizing hope shines brightly in our midst. Now to the world this seems like a pretty insignificant act. The candle’s littleness cannot give adequate light nor warmth.

But we light this frail candle of hope because it is a great and living symbol of what we have been made in baptism: a people who look to the future in Christian hope-that in the end is the beginning, a people who do not fear the darkness because we live in the presence of the One who said, “Be not afraid”.

For these reasons we gather to sing, to pray and to hear the story of Christ who is our hope. We eat this bread and drink this cup so that we may be joined with him in mystical union. Strengthened to continue his mission in a world that cannot save itself from its folly, darkness and violence.

We light one small candle and look toward tomorrow, toward the future. Shall this be death-the end, or life? Apocalyptic doom and gloom or Christian hope? We look and see the resurrected Christ. The one who came to give us wholeness, who forgives us and loves us. Let us go forth to continue our work so that others may give their praise to God.
THANKS BE TO GOD, AMEN.