Looking for the dramatic

Fans of Handel’s Messiah recognize today’s first reading (Malachi 3:1-4) as the source of one of the oratorio’s most dramatic sections.

The Bass thunders:

The Lord, whom ye seek,
shall suddenly come to his temple...

The Alto laments:

But who may abide the day of his coming?
And who shall stand when he appeareth?

And then the Alto sings frenetically:

For he is like a refiners fire.

Dramatic music for dramatic words.

Long before the time of Handel, the people of ancient Israel heard these words from the prophet Malachi and looked for the sudden and dramatic coming of the Lord.

Few then paid attention to the tiny baby who came to the temple in the arms of Mary and Joseph.

Indeed, of all the people who were in the temple area that day, it seems that only two people – an old man and an old woman – recognized the coming of the Lord to his temple.

Other people were looking for the dramatic. As we hear in today’s Gospel (Luke 2:22-40), Anna and Simeon listened to the Holy Spirit and were blessed to see and recognize in a small and obscure baby the most powerful and wonderful gift of God’s love.

Many times you and I look for the dramatic – sometimes because our lives seem dull and need drama, sometimes because our lives have too much drama and we need a dramatic rescue.

Today’s readings remind us that the most powerful work of the Lord is not always the stuff of cinematic drama.

Instead of looking for the dramatic, we need to be listening to the Holy Spirit of God and following in the footsteps of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who came to his temple in subtlety and immeasurable power.