"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19)

Waiting on the world
In his 2006 Grammy-winning song "Waiting on the World to Change," singer-songwriter John Mayer defends his generation, which is often accused of "stand[ing] for nothing."

Mayer laments how those in their 20s and 30s see "everything that's going wrong / With the world and those who lead it," yet feel powerless to change the situation. Distrustful of both the information and power brokers of the day, younger people have been forced to play a waiting game. They know that one day they'll be in charge, and they believe that only then will they have a chance to fix what has gone wrong with the world (or so they hope).

The mood and message of Mayer's song was reflected across generational lines in 2008 when Barak Obama ran for president on a "hope and change" platform: millions of Obama supporters who felt disenfranchised under the Bush administration believed that it was their turn to take the reins of leadership and effect change. Today, however, the only change most Americans have experienced is the destructive kind, and their hope has turned into an even deeper hopelessness. Not surprisingly, as we embark on another election year, both the president's opponents and former supporters are cynically asking, "How's that hope and change working out for you?"

Longing for something better
The longing for the world to be a better place is an echo of the Garden: God created a world that was good, but mankind's disobedience wrecked it. War, hunger, poverty, injustice, tyranny, sin, disease, and death -- all are the rotten fruit that issued from Adam and Eve's arrogant desire to be like God (Genesis 3:4). Ever since the first parents took that fatal rebellious step, their imperfect progeny have been trying to get back to the Garden. We long for it, we offer limitless schemes for achieving it, and we labor mightily for it; but we forever fall short. At worst, our schemes only increase the world's misery quotient; at best, we only improve some things for a little while. We can't fix everything, nor can we make our fixes last forever. That's God's job and -- thankfully -- also His plan for humanity's future.

When Christ initiated His earthly ministry in His hometown synagogue (Luke 4:18-19), He partially quoted Isaiah 61 -- a passage His audience would have recognized as a promise of the Messiah, God's Anointed One who would come to set things right (vs 1-4):

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion--- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

His contemporaries didn't take His claim to be their long-awaited Savior very well, a spirit of rejection that has echoed down through the ages (Luke 4:22-30). However, Christians -- those who believe that Christmas is a celebration of the Messiah's first coming -- know that He will eventually return to set up His kingdom and to restore what man's sin has destroyed (Zechariah 14:1-9; Philippians 2:10). Only under the rule of King Jesus will humanity experience the enduring change our hearts long for.

Waiting on the Lord
I have been reminded of this truth during the past month as my church has been preparing for Advent by learning "Canticle of the Turning." Set to an old Irish tune ("The Star of the County Down"), "Canticle" asks the question, "Could the world be about to turn?" and answers with a resounding "Yes!" [i] Unlike Mayer's song or Obama's campaign slogan, "Canticle" points us to the restoration of God's good creation as promised in His Word -- promises we can trust absolutely since His Word endures forever (Isaiah 40:8). Consider the many allusions to His Word -- and to what Christ promises to do when He returns -- in the song's lyrics:

My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great,
And my spirit sings of the wondrous things that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on your servant's plight, and my weakness you did not spurn,
So from east to west shall my name be blest, Could the world be about to turn?

Though I am small, my God, my all, you work great things in me,
And your mercy will last from the depths of the past to the end of the age to be.
Your very name puts the proud to shame, and to those who would for you yearn,
You will show your might, put the strong to flight, for the world is about to turn.

From the halls of pow'r to the fortress tow'r, not a stone will be left on stone.
Let the king beware for your justice tears ev'ry tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more, for the food they can never earn;
There are tables spread, every mouth be fed, for the world is about to turn.

Though the nations rage from age to age, we remember who holds us fast:
God's mercy must deliver us from the conqueror's crushing grasp.
This saving word that our forebears heard is the promise which holds us bound,
Till the spear and rod can be crushed by God, who is turning the world around.

Songwriters and politicians may sing about, hope for, promise, and wait for change; but only Jesus Christ can bring about the kind of change the world needs, starting with each person who becomes a "new creation" through faith in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). Then, through a process of spiritual growth, love for God and neighbor, and Spirit-empowered service in our communities and the world, Christians can continue the world-altering, Kingdom-building work Christ started that day in Nazareth.

One day, Jesus will return to complete the job. Until then, He expects His disciples to wait and work: we are called to confidently proclaim and boldly live out the gospel of the Kingdom to the poor, the oppressed, the infirm, the imprisoned, the lonely, the broken-hearted, and the needy of our world. Thanks to Him, we carry a message of genuine hope and change that results in both temporal rest (Matthew 11:28) and a glorious future in His presence forever.

History and personal experience teach us that it is unwise to place too much hope for a better future in the hands of entertainers or politicians. So, let's be wise: let's put our trust in the One who has been given all authority in heaven and earth to carry out His setting-the-world-to-right agenda (Matthew 28:18). On Christmas day and throughout the new year, let us sing with confidence and patience the hopeful chorus from "Canticle of the Turning":

My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near, and the world is about to turn!

Next steps

Real and lasting change must begin in the hearts and minds of each one of us before it will affect the culture and the world. Is God seeking to accomplish some deep change in outlook, aspiration, or ministry in your life? Spend some time reflecting on this question, then talk with some friends or loved ones about it. Ask the Lord to help you take whatever next steps will enable you to begin turning your world rightside-up for Jesus Christ.

For more insight to this topic, get the study guide, Gospel in Life: Grace Changes Everything, by Tim Keller, from our online store. Order the DVD as well and study this important subject with some friends. You will also benefit from reading the article, “Changed Lives,” by John Piper.

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