The opening words of chapter 40 of the Book of Isaiah are particularly significant: "Comfort, give comfort to my people." Chapter 40 begins Second Isaiah, a book which gives us much consolation. The time of exile in Babylon was ending and the Jews were about to return home. Hence Second Isaiah writes with great hope and with much warmth about God's love, themes which are so suitable for Advent. He felt the pain of the exiles and understood their feeling of abandonment, but at the same time saw the finger of God in their experience: "I did forsake you for a brief moment, but with great love will I take you back" (Is.54:7).

In faith and in hope we can all draw much comfort and consolation from these words. If God seemed to have abandoned Israel, they had to learn that it was they who had abandoned God and so felt the desolation of the exile. They also learned that God was not vindictive. If ever in desolation we feel that we have been abandoned by God, we too must remember that God is love. Second Isaiah would appear to see such a sense of abandonment as part of our spiritual formation at the hands of God.