A friend of mine texted me the other evening, “Ooooh, what an emotional final to Strictly Come Dancing.” I’ve never really seen it so I couldn’t get excited about it but I was pleased to know he was enjoying himself. It didn’t mean much to me because I hadn’t really followed it, I didn’t know the personalities involved, I didn’t really care, to be honest.

Important to him, not a universal concern, but exciting. This summary of the Strictly Come Dancing final or anything else we might care to mention is not how we view our faith. For one thing, being a Christian is not something that is just for a small number of keenies, it is of universal importance. These last days of Advent have attached to each one of them an “O antiphon,” as they’re called. These form the basis of the great Advent hymn “O come, O come Emmanuel,” but originate with the text said at the beginning and the end of the Magnificat each day at Evening Prayer. The Magnificat is Mary’s song from Luke 1: “My soul magnifies the Lord” and we say it every Sunday here at the Good Shepherd at 4.30pm. Evening Prayer works through a hymn, three psalms, a Scripture Reading and then comes the high point, the Magnificat. This text celebrates the effects of God’s love on the whole human race: the poor raised up, the hungry fed, the rich sent away in their pride.

Today, 22nd December, the Magnificat is introduced with these words, which form the O antiphon for today:

“O King, whom all the peoples desire,

you are the cornerstone which makes all one.

O come and save man whom you made from clay.”

“All the peoples desire:” not a niche, not the keenies, everyone. What would the point be in giving my life to someone who was just for a few fanatics? None at all and I haven’t. The sovereignty and the reign of Jesus is over everyone, for everyone and affects everyone. Often they just need reminding of it.

Indeed, this season of Advent has hopefully been a chance to remind ourselves and others that we and they are all going to be judged one day when our life ends, judged by the One who is just and who knows all the secrets of our hearts. This is the judgement described by the Lord in Matthew 25, for example: where the ten bridesmaids are to make sure they have enough oil in their lamps and some are caught out; where the one given most talents is expected to do most with them; where the sheep and the goats are separated depending on whether they have lived recognising Christ in the poor and those who need a hand in life.

Sometimes we can feel judgement is about putting us down or senselessly criticising us. Judgement can be a cruel and public process, especially when we see how it is meted out in the press and on social media. The less willing we are to forgive others, the more we will fear judgement. The judgement that Christ will bring will be pure truth. There’ll be nothing vindictive about it and it will be delivered through the prism of love, through the perspective of the Cross and coloured by our rebirth in the waters of Baptism. Judgement is necessary as we grapple with the Truth of our failures. It means we can’t say such-and-such a sin doesn’t matter. Let’s be sure to examine ourselves each day lest we fall into sin unknowingly. Let’s be sure to get that Confession made that will unite us to God’s mercy and forgiveness.

“O King, whom all the peoples desire,

you are the cornerstone which makes all one.

O come and save man whom you made from clay.”

So, there is universal judgement and that forms part of a universal joy, a universal longing. “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God,” writes the Psalmist (Psalm 42). The Christian will have that longing deep within us and bubbling up more and more as we turn up the heat of our discipleship and our worship. It’s a longing all creation has, writes St Paul, using the image of giving birth (Romans 8:22). When we see people concerned about the environment and wanting to fight for a better society, these are all longings which reveal that we were hot-wired so as to strive for this redemption, this setting free from the bondage to decay. Remember that about your friend or your family member who does not believe in God or who does not prioritise worshipping Him: ultimately somewhere he or she still has this longing to do so, we just need to tickle it out of them. The whole world longs for God.

The message for the world is one of joy, a universal joy. There’ll be a lot of celebrating happening in the world at the moment: Christmas parties at work, seeing friends and families. It’s great people are having a jolly time. True joy can never be at the expense of someone else and one of the problems with so much celebrating that is going on now is that it is hollow, it is at someone else’s expense. The parties based on a wealth that is unfairly accrued; the festivities that rely on someone ignored or not invited; the vast amounts of food that have meant others have gone without; the drinking of alcohol which has meant the worship of almighty God has been neglected. This is not what joy is meant to look like.

Joy is a celebration of all that is good and an affirmation that the creation is good. In our reading today we heard St Matthew’s account of St Joseph being told that he should stick by his betrothed as she had conceived by the Holy Spirit. They will name the child Emmanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’ Joseph consents and demonstrates what faithful obedience looks like as he gets on with doing it. This is the ultimate fulfilment of the prophecy we heard in Isaiah 7 as our first reading. This comes with a stark reminder to us that the world is a very good place because this is how God made it so that His Son could come and dwell here. When God made the earth He knew His Son would dwell among us. Whenever a child is born there is great excitement about preparing where He will sleep, getting pretty blankets making sure it is warm, cleaning it out. God did that in creating this world: it is very good. We can rejoice in its beauty.

This beauty will be seen fully when the creation is finally handed over to the Father by God the Son and all the followers of Christ shall take up their crowns of righteousness. It will be a universal beauty, a universal joy: “O King, whom all the peoples desire.” Let’s be ready to meet Him and pray and work towards everyone being part of that throng. Amen.