Love in the Lyrics

It's not uncommon for me to be going along and singing a hymn during a service and then--BOOM--there it is! The best message of the day, right there on the printed page of the hymnal!
Such was the case yesterday during our Sequence hymn which was "Prepare the way, O Zion". You can hum along if you wish, but the lyrics that leaped out at me were in verse two:

He brings God's rule, O Zion;
he comes from heaven above.
His rule is peace and freedom,
and justice, truth and love.
Lift high your praise resounding,
for grace and joy abounding.
Oh, blest is Christ that came in God's most holy name.

Year C is still in its infancy, but as we progress through this time of Advent, I have been more and more aware of the liberation that comes from God, and Jesus as the emancipator, the one who releases us from prisons, real or imagined. "His rule is peace and freedom, and justice, truth and love." This 'new thing' that we are waiting for during Advent is coming to counter the adversity, imprisonment, and hatred that engulfs us in bitter disputes and darkness.
Of course, the attempt to bring us to peace and freedom causes more anxiety, more anger, more resistance. Especially as we make our way through the Gospel of Luke, those who would like to draw lines in the sand or shut the door that Christ kicks open for everyone's entry, will likely amp up their noise. Luke's gospel is full of examples of a God on a mission to seek out the least and the last, and bring them into the story as important people... even if they happen to be "outsiders". I would think such words in Scripture would irritate the crap out of those who want to exclude people from God's kingdom. On blogs that tilt more to the conservative side, progressive voices in the blogosphere are not only being ridiculed, they're being banned! It's almost as if there is a desire on the part of conservatives to be in "lock-down" within the prison of fear, and anything that might suggest that the fear is self-generated is seen as an assault. That's really too bad.
"Lift high your praise resounding, for grace and joy abounding." This is where I'd rather be. This is the place where I'd rather stand which matches with the words of the Proper Preface for Advent:

Because you sent your beloved Son to redeem us from sin and
death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that
when he shall come again in power and great triumph to
judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to
behold his appearing.

I would much rather have my head up without shame or fear at Advent and await expectantly the entry of the God who marches ALL of us on the road to freedom and liberation and leads us past the protesters on our parade route. There is no promise that we won't get yelled at, or spit on, along the way. But the promise is that we are on a journey out of darkness if we stick to this path with him, and he won't leave the walk and abandon us.
Oh, blest is Christ that came in God's most holy name.