Sacred People: Reflecting the Sacred
Scripture: Matthew 3:1–12

This week at Central, we continue our Advent series Reflecting the Sacred by turning our attention to what it means to see one another as sacred people. Pastor Christina Hart-Perkins invites us into a surprising and powerful Advent companion: John the Baptist. Far from the serene scenes on our Christmas cards, John comes to us wild, blunt, and uncompromising—yet carrying a message of love that reaches deeper than sentimentality.

In a season that often idealizes warmth and harmony, John’s call to repent can feel jarring. But Pastor Christina reminds us that repentance—teshuva, “to return”—is not about shame. It is an invitation to come back to our truest identity: beloved children of God. When we release the guilt, judgments, and stories we hold about ourselves, we also become free to see the sacred in others, even those who are difficult to love.

John’s fierce urgency is not meant to make us small, but to call us back to ourselves and to one another. True repentance clears the space for love to grow—for us to recognize that God claims every person as holy, cherished, and worthy. From the marginalized to those we’d rather avoid, from the ones who hurt us to the ones we simply don’t understand, God’s love reaches first into the desert places and invites us to meet Him there.

Advent beckons us to return, to release what separates us, and to recognize the sacred humanity in all whom we encounter.

🌀 Reflection Questions:

1. Where do I look for the sacred in other people this week, even in those I find difficult to love?
2. How can I remind myself to pause and pray for a new understanding when I feel disconnected from someone?

✨ Listen now as we explore what it means to repent, return, and reflect God’s love—discovering the sacred not only in ourselves, but in every person we meet.

Support the show