I love the season of Advent, but it can come upon me suddenly. All my ideas and intentions get left behind. Advent is just getting into the swing of things when Christmas arrives! Then I want to say, ‘No, I’m not ready yet. Give me an extra day/week/month.’
I can ‘do’ Advent, if I remember, amid all the busyness. But if Advent gets crowded out and I feel I’ve missed something, I have to remind myself that this is a season of our making, to help us reflect on the coming light. It’s an aid, not a straitjacket. If I need a little more Advent in my life, I don’t have to confine it to a season. I can carry a sense of Advent-waiting with me whenever and wherever I am.
Christ’s coming is not confined to Christmas but is an eternal reality. And as we think about the Word made fragile flesh, we also reflect on his glorious returning. This is not just about Christmas past or present, but about future hope.
Let’s live that hope together.
imagine
light constant and forever
the Lamb-lamp blazing.
imagine
no more dark or chaos
evil sent off in shame.
imagine
joy spread so thick
it covers everything.
Lucy Mills
Feature Image: Advent Wreath (WikiCommons, P.D.)