This post is adapted from a column I wrote for the December 2010 edition of the Christ Church, Exeter monthly newsletter, "The Anchor"
And so it is Advent, the season of joyful anticipation of the coming of Christ . . . finally!
We need this season, I think, and not simply for the carols and the lights and the trees and the merriment that mark the secular holiday season. We need this season to give us hope in the face of some of the realities of life that could lead us to despair: the young men and women we pray for at Christ Church each Sunday who have died in service to their country in Iraq and Afghanistan;, the brave 6th grade girl who has endured a stem cell transplant as she fights cancer with the support of her family, parish community, friends, and neighbors; people we know who are out of work and wondering how they will survive when their unemployment benefits run out; and national and global problems that seem too big to solve.
Ironically, it is during this season of deepest darkness in the northern hemisphere that we are invited to look toward the horizon with hope. Advent reminds us that Christ is coming . . . no matter what may be happening in the world or in our lives. Jesus—who was and is and is to come—brings the promise of the future into the present, not so much to fix all that ails our world but to raise our eyes so they can focus beyond today, looking with hope and faith toward the horizon.
When this happens—when we look at the world through the lens of Advent hope—the way we live and the actions we take today are transformed. We are filled with joy and we share that joy with others.
One of my favorite pieces of music during Advent is "E'en so Lord Jesus quickly come" by Paul Manz. The text is an adaptation of Revelation 21:1-4 (adapted by Ruth Manz). This, always, is my prayer for Advent. In the face of darkness and doubt, of uncertainty and isolation, of whatever may be troubling any of us, this is my response.
Peace be to you and grace from him
Who freed us from our sins,
Who loved us all and shed his blood
That we might saved be.
Sing holy, holy to our Lord,
The Lord, Almighty God,
Who was and is and is to come;
Sing holy, holy, Lord!
Rejoice in heaven, all ye that dwell therein,
Rejoice on earth, ye saints below,
For Christ is coming, is coming soon,
For Christ is coming soon!
E'en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come,
And night shall be no more;
They need no light nor lamp nor sun,
For Christ will be their All!
(To truly experience the power of this text, I encourage you to listen to "E'en so Lord Jesus quickly come")
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