Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest....
Advent is nothing if not expectation. The future feels immanent and our preparation is driven by urgency. There is hardly enough time, even when Advent is four full weeks.
Christmas is often a letdown. The sun rises and sets on the children who are quarrelsome, the parents who are tired, and the guests who stay too long. The gifts are distributed and the thanks are thanked, and where do we go from here?
But what if the Day of the Lord is satisfying without completeness? What if there is still more joy to come, more work to be done, more atonement to be made, more forgiveness, and more healing?
What if Advent is the season when we learn how to expect, wait, and hope so that when the Lord comes we have become adept at expecting, waiting, and hoping? And find no disappointment in the practice, but only the wonder-filled assurance of something wonderful?
Then at last we might know the meaning of both Advent and Christmas.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.