MEDITATION TIPS (Episode 281)
Second Sunday of Advent
December 7, 2025

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse” (Isaiah 11:1)

　Jesse was King David’s father. Israel reached its peak during the reigns of David and Solomon. However, after Solomon’s death, Israel split into two kingdoms and subsequently endured a long period of suffering under foreign rule. The “stump” refers to the stump of a cut-down tree. Though the tree appears dead when only the stump remains, if the roots are still alive, side shoots will sprout from the stump and grow anew. The “stump of Jesse” signifies the Davidic dynasty, which seemed severed. Yet, even when it appeared cut off, the “root of Jesse” (11:10) remained alive, promising the future birth of a Savior from it.

　I have been overwhelmed many times by the beauty of the star-filled sky seen in the mountains, the clarity of the blue sea, and the divine radiance of sunlight piercing through dark clouds. This world is overflowing with beautiful things. Yet what this world needs most are people who can see it and feel its beauty. “Man is but a reed, the weakest thing in nature. But he is a thinking reed” (Blaise Pascal). Compared to the vastness of nature, humans are powerless beings like a single reed. Yet through thought, humans can embrace nature. Therein lies human dignity and greatness.

　Every time a human is moved by something, they recreate the creation of heaven and earth within themselves. “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). Similarly, if we say to ourselves, “Let there be light,” “Let there be hope,” “Let there be courage,” then light, hope, and courage are born. Within us, who live in the Spirit of God’s creation, the “root of Jesse” pulses with life. Even when our lives resemble a stump, we can always create, regenerate, and evolve.

　Fish cannot live without water. Yet fish are likely unaware that they live within water. Likewise, humans live because they are enveloped in God’s creative spirit, whether they are conscious of it or not. Therefore, humans inherently desire perfection over imperfection, fulfillment over destruction, and life over death. Just as iron becomes magnetized when placed near a magnet for a while, interacting with kind and positive people transmits their heart’s wavelength, influencing others to become kind and positive. However, the opposite is also true.

　In life, whether in studies or work, things not going as planned is normal. Yet, the words we choose in such moments hold the key to growth. Negative words, words that hurt others, are akin to siding with the devil and declaring the destruction of one’s own destiny. Living within God’s creative spirit, let us always use kind words, beautiful words, life-giving words that come from “the God of endurance and encouragement” (Romans 15:5). Every single word we use in daily life possesses the power to directly influence our existence. Therefore, humanity is called to live constantly with righteous words. This is also a “religion that sustains the self.” If religion means being saved and sustained by a power outside oneself, then righteous words are the divine power that guides us to salvation. “The Word was God” (John 1:1).

 　　　　　(Contributed by Father Yutaka Akabae)