Seeking New Paths of Justice

Seeking New Paths of Justice

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;

   teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth, and teach me,

   for you are the God of my salvation;

   for you I wait all day long.

Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,

   for they have been from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;

   according to your steadfast love remember me,

   for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!

Good and upright is the Lord;

   therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

He leads the humble in what is right,

   and teaches the humble his way.

Psalm 25:4-9

In the age of screens, apps and reels that gnaw at our attention many of us find sitting in stillness and in anticipation foreign, uncomfortable or even a little painful. Yet, today’s passage urges us to be mindful of the mercy and steadfast love of God. Stillness in our prayer can be a gift of mercy to our hearts and our minds that are constantly bombarded with noise and clamour.

Advent invites us to slow down and anticipate something coming ahead. As we wade our way through the season, we are reminded of the anticipation of something good to come. Something worth hoping for, something worth  investing in. Christ is with us - this phrase may elicit different feelings for different people, and depending on your tradition, your story and your history, you may find this phrase both beautiful yet also incredibly jarring. Christ with us is meant to be good news to all who hear it, yet for many, the Christian message may not have been received as good news. Today’s passage is a prayer that encourages us to seek the good news of God in a way that may teach us to walk new paths in humility and in truth. 

What makes ‘good news’ good? I believe that justice, in all its ups and downs, is what will move us towards a gospel that is good for all who hear it. This prayer is as much a prayer for justice as it is a prayer for us to walk new paths in humility and in truth. It may mean for us to seek out the challenges before us, or to face the difficulties that are present in our midst. It may be a time of pausing and reflecting, recognising that the present may not be as free and life-giving for many in the world as it could be. This prayer is a reminder that in our world today there is still suffering and that there is still brokenness but it also reminds us that there is still hope; there is still something that is worth waiting for. It reminds us that there is merit in our prayers of anticipation, there is merit in the waiting, there is merit in our hope for something good to come.

Where might you see hope emerging this advent season? Where might you see the good news of the gospel? Where might you see good news that isn’t so good? Where do we long to see Jesus’ justice flow? 

Let’s pray in anticipation together, that new paths may form in humility and in truth. Let’s pray; ‘Let Justice Flow’.

Rev Cyrus Kung, a second-generation Hong Kong Australian, is an ordained minister in the Uniting Church who loves working with his hands, building and restoring furniture. He loves connecting with people, hearing their stories, and understanding what drives them. Curious about the world and the human experience, Cyrus finds meaning in the pursuit of beauty and creativity, especially in life's ordinary and challenging moments.

This devotional is part of a series of daily email devotionals for Advent 2024 reflecting on the life-giving, thirst quenching justice of Jesus we long to see flow across these lands. A justice overflowing with love and compassion, bringing forth hope, healing, nourishment and flourishing for all.

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