Charles Hawkins

The following is intended to reflect the lectionary’s emphasis on  preparing the way ,  bearing fruit , and  abounding in hope  (Isaiah 11; Psalm 72; Romans 15; Matthew 3). Prayers of the People Advent 2 — Year A Intercessor: Let us pray for the Church and for the world. For the Church God of promise, you call your Church to prepare your way and to bear fruit worthy of repentance. Strengthen all who lead and all who serve in your name. Make your people steadfast in hope, patient in suffering, and joyful in their witness to the coming kingdom. Intercessor:   Come, Lord Jesus People:   Hear our prayer. For the World and Its Leaders God of righteousness, your prophet proclaimed that every valley shall be lifted up and every crooked way made straight. Guide the leaders of the nations in the paths of justice and peace. Inspire all in authority with courage to protect the vulnerable and to seek the common good. Intercessor:   Come, Lord Jesus People:   ...

The Dave Matthews Band’s “When the World Ends” offers a lens of intimacy, hope, and resilience through which to reflect on the themes of the first week of Advent. This week's lessons and the song confront apocalyptic imagery, not as an occasion for despair but as a transformative opportunity. By focusing on love and connection, the song complements the lesson's themes of hope, responsibility, and the call to live in God’s kingdom. In “When the World Ends,” love becomes the central force that transcends chaos. Matthews sings of a bond that remains unbroken even as the world falls apart: “...when the world ends, we’ll be livin’ for the love we have.” This reflects the notion that God’s presence and love remain steadfast even in the face of catastrophe. Just as the song highlights the sustaining power of human love, the lessons point to divine love as the unshakable anchor in times of crisis. The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. was an event of unimaginable loss. Yet, within th...

Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” is a powerful companion to Advent. Both the song and the season wrestle with the unthinkable—the upheavals that shake the foundations of our world—and respond by calling us to bear witness, take responsibility, and imagine a new way of living. Bearing Witness to Catastrophe Advent acknowledges the profound disorientation that comes with events like the destruction of Jerusalem—moments when, as the poet says, “the light of God is gone.” Dylan’s song reflects this same sensibility, confronting us with cascading images of despair and devastation: “I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin’, I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin’.” Dylan refuses to shy away from the reality of human suffering, recounting what the narrator has seen and heard to confront listeners with the harsh truths of their world. Advent similarly refuses to gloss over the horrors of Jerusalem’s fall or the tragedies of our time, instead urging us to face...

Revolt in the Face of Catastrophe The Season of Advent reminds us of the moments when the “foundations are shaken”—such as the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70, 9/11, Katrina, the pandemic, and so on—events that echo the absurd, destabilizing crises Camus described. These are moments when life feels unintelligible, and the natural response might be despair or resignation. Camus’ idea of revolt calls us to reject nihilism in these moments. Instead of passively accepting chaos or trying to impose an artificial meaning (as Josephus did with his judgment theology), revolt insists on continuing to seek justice, hope, and purpose. Hope in God’s unrelenting faithfulness can be seen as an expression of spiritual revolt: a refusal to let catastrophe define the ultimate reality. Similarly, The Clash’s “London Calling” embodies the spirit of revolt. The song does not ignore or minimize the crises it describes; it faces them head-on, naming them with clarity and urgency: “The ice age is c...

Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer seems particularly apt this time of year—Advent. It can be a lens through which we can reflect on Elvis Costello’s “Waiting for the End of the World.” “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.” Serenity: Trusting in God’s Redemptive Work The prayer’s call for serenity echoes our hope that God will not abandon us. When the unthinkable happens—be it the destruction of Jerusalem or some more contemporary catastrophe—we face realities beyond our control. Accepting these things does not have to be merely resignation; it’s a profound trust in God’s redemptive work, even amid chaos. Costello’s song captures the unease of waiting and uncertainty: “The man from the television crawling through the train / He’s got the carbine loaded, and he’s not afraid to use it.” Here, the tension and paranoia of waiting for the unknown starkly contrast with the serenity we seek t...

The Doors’ “The End” explores endings, existential crises, and transformation themes that resonate deeply with Advent’s reflection on judgment, human responsibility, and the hope of redemption. Both the song and the season confront us with the reality of endings—not as finality but as a prelude to renewal. Endings as Catastrophe and Transformation “The End” begins with the poignant lyric: “This is the end, beautiful friend, this is the end.” This farewell unfolds into chaos, mirroring the collapse of personal, societal, and existential structures. Similarly, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., described as a “shaking of the foundations,” was a moment of profound disorientation—a time when the light of God seemed extinguished for many. Jim Morrison’s poetic meditation on endings captures the paradox of these moments: they are devastating yet transformative. Advent affirms that catastrophe is often senseless but not without meaning. God's redemptive work usually begins in the wr...