Sermonette: December 23, 2024

Where in your life are you going the wrong way? The Advent Season allows us to reflect on this question more consciously as we await the Redeemer of the World, Jesus Christ, on Christmas Day. A good place to start is to identify: Which of the Seven Deadly Sins are you struggling with the most at this point in your life? Is it pride, anger, gluttony, lust, envy, greed or sloth? By means of you being human, you are struggling with one or more of them. Where are you most in need of God's mercy?

Recently, my wife and I watched the old 1980s movie, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles." There is a scene where the unlikely friends played by actors John Candy and Steve Martin are traveling down the road and a family going the opposite direction are trying to get their attention that they are going the wrong way on a one way. Both characters are obstinate in their insistence that they are the ones going the right way and it is other parties that are the ones going the wrong way. How many times is it us that believe we are the ones that are going the right way when God in His mercy is telling us through others that we are going the wrong way? It is easy to become overly confident and not listen to others who are trying to help us and protect us when we are going the wrong way.

As time progresses, the family become more insistent and vocal to the characters played by Candy and Martin that they are going the wrong way. Shortly, thereafter, they see two semitrucks coming full speed straight at them and they realize that indeed they are going the wrong way. However, it is too late to turn around. Oftentimes, it takes something really serious and big in our lives to recognize that we are going the wrong direction and should have heeded God's warnings through others when there was still time to make amendments to our lives. It is at these moments that we need to simply plead to God for His mercy that we do not suffer fully the consequences from not listening to others.

In the movie, the car that Candy and Martin are driving miraculously passes between the two semis and only suffer slight damage to either side of the vehicle. In short, they do not suffer the full consequences from their failure from others that they were going the wrong way. Oftentimes, it is God's mercy that prevents us from suffering fully what we deserve from going the wrong way in our lives

Again, where in your life are you going the wrong way? Perhaps, during this Advent Season you can make a change in direction while there is still time. It will place your heart in a proper place as you receive the Redeemer of the World, Jesus Christ, on Christmas Day.