Advent Waiting

During the month of December, Christians are amidst their Advent season. Advent is a time of reflection on the significance of Jesus’ birth, and waiting—waiting for Jesus’ second coming.

I for one, think it’s going to be a long wait. At least for his physical return.

According to a Jesus quote in Matthew 24:26 – “no one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

I was introduced to this Advent ritual when as an adult I began attending a church that honored the season with purple banners displaying the words for the weekly themes of, hope, peace, joy, and love. There’s also the wreath that holds the purple, pink, and white candles being lit on their appropriate week. Each Sunday when the candles are lit by a specially selected someone from the congregation, we sometimes get to practice waiting with a holding of our breath, as time passes while the person struggles to get the lighter to work. But Christmas miracles happen, and they finally get the job done and as our waiting ends, we exhale with a sigh of relief. 

Once the Sunday service is over, we hurry out the door to live our lives. The hustle and bustle of the Christmas shopping, decorating, partying, and sometimes singing, Grandma Got Run Over by A Reindeer. All the while, we also are working jobs to pay the bills, especially the larger bills for purchases from this gift-giving season. 

I am not living as though I am actively waiting for Jesus’ return. Are you? I mean, what would that look like? Standing outside, watching the clouds to see if they part hoping to have the first glance? Do I really think, it’s going to be my little corner of the United States area he’ll show up first? Or will it be the small sliver of the world he walked around while he was on the earth, maybe Israel? 

When, exactly, do we find or make the time to reflect and wait, unless when driving our cars, the streetlight turns red, and makes us stop and wait? But I doubt even with a forced stop, we are reflecting and looking up at the clouds to see if anyone is coming. We’re more likely singing along to the radio’s Jingle Bell Rock or one of Taylor Swift’s latest hits.

The blaring red light that made me stop, pay attention, and reflect was the challenges of cancer 20 years ago. But that was only the beginning of my reflective journey. It’s an ongoing evolvement that takes on different worldviews with the experiences of life’s journey. I expect to continue my evolution until my last breath. I have learned though, that change and reflection through the sunshine isn’t as eye-opening as when there is rain, thunder, and lightning while being windblown in directions we don’t foresee going. 

Honestly, I think Jesus is the one waiting—waiting on us to figure out how to get things right, like loving others, judging not, and taking care of the downtrodden. He has got to be shaking his head in disbelief of how some people, who profess to believe in him, have gotten it so wrong. Why is it difficult for many to utilize compassion as a moral compass?

If we could all embrace goodwill towards all people, do you think we would then have peace on earth?

Advent. It is a time of preparation for Jesus’s coming. I ask you to consider that we don’t need to wait for Jesus to arrive. The clouds have already parted, and His spirit arrived at this human world within each of us the day we each arrived. It just takes some maturing to begin to look inward towards our cloudy spirit. The life journey we are on in this harsh hectic world needs to embrace the spirit of hope, peace, joy, and love. The greatest of these is love.

How long do we need to wait before we are brave enough to part the clouds and see the light that exists in us, then embrace and shine that light into this harsh, hectic world? Do we have to be forced to stop, like my cancer diagnosis did for me? I hope not. I hope if you aren’t already on this journey, you’ll join me, if only in spirit. 

I’ll be waiting ––

for you.