December 2, 2014
We know that Christmas is near. The commercial chatter about Christmas started more than four weeks ago, right about the time of Halloween. (Amazing!) But the Church is reminding us that we need to prepare for Christmas, to remind ourselves that Christmas is a gift to us of the Christ who would eventually die to bring us life. And that preparation time is Advent – the time of waiting.
Americans are very bad at waiting. Everything in our lives seems more and more to be instantaneous. Most people carry phones around with them to be in instant communication with one another. Those who don’t have the time to dial a phone often text or let the whole world know what we are thinking about on Twitter. With a slide of a card we can instantly charge merchandise without anyone knowing what we purchase or for how much. (Well, except for all the people who are collecting all the data on each purchase we make.)
It is dizzying. We grow used to the speed, and get testy when we have to stand in line for almost anything. I recently saw a line at a Starbuck’s that was probably 400 feet long and about four abreast. (I didn’t need a cup of tea that much and so, moved on.)
So, Advent is not an easy time for us. In ages past, the time of Advent was much longer. The Church seemed aware at the time of the importance of preparing for the coming of Jesus. With time, the Church decided that a shorter time would be adequate so now we have Advent for just four weeks. But it is still a time of waiting and preparation.
Because of the commercial pressure to get gifts for our families and friends, there is a frenetic pace to the weeks leading to Christmas that is nearly impossible to sidestep. And whether we like it or not, we get caught up in it.
The Church, on the other hand, will lead us carefully and gently through the promise made by God of a Messiah who would bring new life to the people of God. We will hear again and again the words of Isaiah and the world of promise that Isaiah brings to us. The Gospels will repeat again the stories of Mary and Joseph, of Jesus’ lineage reminding us that Jesus is of the House of David, a Jew and the one who will change the world. We will know again the stories of Mary and her visit to Elizabeth, and the amazingly human dilemmas that Mary and Joseph faced as they awaited the birth of a child whose reality they did not truly understand.
It is easy to let Advent slip by because the rush of Christmas seems to get deeper each year. But maybe each of us can take 10 minutes each day, more than likely in the morning and reflect a bit about the Gospel of the day. You only need a Bible, your bulletin which contains the readings of the day, and your favorite chair to make Advent more real than perhaps it’s ever been. It will be a richer Christmas if you prepare for it.