God's taproot of hope

Dear St. Augustine's 'ohana,
As we move into the second week of Advent, we continue the journey that began last Sunday with the theme of hope. Advent hope is not wishful thinking. Rather, it is a practice of opening our lives to allow God’s hopeful future to emerge through us.

This week, our focus widens to include peace. The readings for this Sunday invite us to see peace not as the absence of conflict, but as a deep inner grounding that can grow from our complicated roots. Like trees, our roots grow in both rocky and rich soil, tapping into our ancestral past, cultural teachings, and societal conditioning. Peace comes from connecting with God as we disentangle these roots to find the Source of Spirit that taps into God's vision of love.

In this week's Hebrew scripture passage, Isaiah's poetry draws on the image of a tree stump, representing human history. But rather than seeing the stump as representing what has been lost, what has ended, or what no longer looks fruitful, Isaiah gives us the beautiful image of a green shoot emerging from the stump. He reminds us that God’s peace often begins in places that feel cut down or depleted. Even in what appears dead, life remains hidden in the roots. God’s peace grows slowly, steadily, and honestly—from the inside out.

To my ears, Isaiah's verses invite us to embrace peace by examining the stories we’ve inherited. In repeating these narratives, we often begin to define ourselves by the light and dark in tales we accept without question, unconsciously claiming them as our own. Advent reminds us to look for God's truth in these rooted stories that we might find the balance between light and darkness in them. This is not something we achieve once and for all. It is an ongoing process of sitting with what is shadowed in us, allowing God’s light to meet us there to help us discover new clarity.

In this week's gospel, John the Baptist, fiery as he is, ultimately invites us to do this inner “root work.” Religious leaders publicly accuse him of usurping their spiritual authority while privately seeking the baptismal cleansing John offers. In response, John speaks truth to power, calling them a "brood of vipers" and saying, "Bear fruit worthy of repentance." He urges these leaders to do good work in the world rather than simply claiming the good work of generations past.

I do not hear John the Baptist's call to repentance as license to condemn others. Rather, I hear it as an invitation to renew the good within ourselves by recognizing and transforming the shadows that hold us back. Without this inner clarity, our attempts to “speak truth” can easily slide into hurtful judgment. We all know how quickly a frustrated word or a snap decision can cause harm to relationships that matter to us. Advent peace begins with pausing, listening, and letting God help us understand what is truly going on beneath the surface.

This Advent, may we stay awake to the green shoots God is growing in our lives. May we cultivate clarity, protect our relationships, and trust that peace begins with the gentle work of the Spirit at our roots.

With gratitude and blessings,
Vicar Jennifer
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P.S., Mahalo for reading this message! I send my thoughts on the coming Sunday's scripture lessons in our weekly e-newsletter. If you'd like, you can sign up here to receive it. My e-message is usually a sneak peak of the coming Sunday's sermon, so if you're curious to hear more, head to our Facebook page for our livestream or go to our YouTube page to view past services. As always, I would love to see you in person on a Sunday! And please let me know if you'd like to talk about anything I've written here.

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