The Advent of Our God

 


In our culture, these weeks are The Christmas Season.  (Actually, since the health of The Economy depends on us buying stuff, sellers of stuff have encouraged us to think that The Christmas Season begins as soon as Halloween is over.  For the health of The Economy, there needs to be a strong Christmas Shopping Season.)

In the liturgical church, though, today begins the season of Advent.

Advent is my favorite season - because it is so counter to our culture.

Advent encourages us to spend these weeks uncovering what it is that we are longing for, to prepare for the joy of Christmas. Advent reminds us that we cannot receive joy if we are covering up what we are afraid of.  Only when we are honest about what we are longing for can we celebrate Christmas: the birth of God's promises for history, in the flesh and blood of Jesus.  Advent encourages us to uncover what it is that we are longing for, so we will know what those promises will look like when they are fulfilled.  That will be when the kingdom comes.  (That's what Christians pray for, after all: "Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.")

So what are the promises of God that you are longing for?

For me this Advent season, they are the promises of peace, of security, and of flourishing -- promises that only God can fulfill.

I long for the age to come when we will not be afraid of being shot to death while in our local Walmart, or on our local college campus, or in our local club.

I long for the age to come when a despotic emperor will not indiscriminately kill civilians and destroy civilian infrastructure hoping that civilians will freeze to death, because his army cannot win victory on the battlefield.

I long for the age to come when political leaders will see themselves as public servants, only secondarily concerned about whether their party wins or loses.

I long for the age to come when human beings will love the creation, and will desire a future for all species (including our own), and will act out of that love to do what is necessary for creation to flourish.

These are promises that only God can truly fulfill.  In this meantime, we focus on the Advent of our God.  

(In this meantime, we can act to prepare the way of the Lord, work that is motivated by our longings.)

What fulfillment do you long for?

Blessings to you, during these weeks of Advent.

Andy Ballentine

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