Advent is the season leading up to Christmas in which we wait and hope. Traditionally, it is the church’s time to reflect on waiting for the Messiah, waiting for God to show up on earth, waiting for God to make things right.
Children capture the spirit of Advent as they anticipate Christmas. They cannot contain their joy in expectation. It’s the specialness, the newness, the surprise.
And the hope doesn’t fade as they wait, but the eagerness only grows.
Expectant mothers and fathers capture the spirit of Advent as they anticipate a new child. They also cannot contain their delight as their baby is growing. The baby will be special, new, surprising. However, the baby doesn’t come without pain. And yet, the pain doesn’t make the hope diminish. Perhaps the pain increases the expectation.
Can our waiting be the same? What are we waiting on? What are we hoping for? Is there something better out there? Is something growing? Is something about to be born? Are we only expecting the future to get worse, or can we anticipate something special, something new, something surprising, something good?
Or, have we become discouraged in the waiting? Do we only expect the next bad thing to happen? Do we only prepare for the worst? There does seem to be so much to be disheartened about in our world today….killings, hatred, prejudices, pollution, fear, suffering, and on and on. Is there any hope for anything better?
Hope begins with God saying, “You are special. You are worthy of my love. I have placed greatness inside of you. I have placed goodness inside of you. Live in friendship with me. Live in hopeful expectation. I’ve created you for more. I’ve created you for love.”
When you feel like nothing, hang on to that. When you feel unworthy, hope for grace. When you feel sad, hope for joy. When you feel stuck, hope for freedom. When you ache, hope for peace. When anger comes, hope for goodness. In the midst of hatred, hope for love.
I love the worship song Above All. Because in this song, you are going along singing about how God is above all else, when all of a sudden, the last line catches you by surprise. “You took the fall, and thought of me, above all.” Wait! What? God thinks of me above all? I thought I’m just supposed to think of God as above all. But God thinks of me that way? Really? How? God loves to turn the tables. God loves to shake things up. God loves to surprise. Wait in expectation of God’s surprises to you this Advent season. And don’t give up hope that God is working amidst the suffering. God is crying with us. God is bringing about the better. In me. In you. In us.
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