Bearing Witness

“Happy New Year,” since today is the first Sunday in Advent, the beginning of the Christian year.

Advent means “coming.” The coming of the baby Jesus, God among us in human flesh. The coming of Christ again “the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. In between those two great comings is God’s constant longing for each of us to come to God, to love God, and to let God love us. “Be alert.” Notice. Listen. Watch. For what? For the ways God will choose to get our attention this season. For those moments when we notice that our ways are not in alignment with God’s ways. For those shimmering glimpses of the Kingdom of God.

Ominous warnings of end times: These warnings and words of hope were heard in a community that was pretty sure the world was coming to an end. The message: Keep alert! Stay awake! Pay attention! Jesus just might come this very night. Implicit is the invitation to make some changes in our priorities and to notice what really matters.

What is your understanding of the “Second Coming”?

If we had a hunch that Jesus would return this Christmas, what might we do differently?

How do you and your family get ready for Christmas? What rituals, preparations, traditions mark Christmas at your house?

Prayer: Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.