Advent Musings 2024
Advent is a season of reflection and anticipation: reflection
on the prophecies that foretold Jesus’ coming and anticipation of Jesus’ coming
again today. The prophets spoke of a savior who would redeem the world. Now we
look forward to the symbolic celebration of Jesus’ birth in our day.
In these days before Christmas, we might reflect on some of
the stories in the Old Testament that told of a Messiah who would bring good news
and peace. Those years before Christ’s coming were not too different from our
world today, filled with wars, poverty, sickness, and violence. Jesus was born
in a humble stable to a virgin and a carpenter. The three magi from the East
were looking for a king but found a helpless baby lying a manger. The star led
them to Bethlehem, an inconspicuous town, and they knelt before the child, offering
their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Today, war and poverty and all kinds of evil still exist in our
world, but we try to block out the horrors and bring each other expensive gifts
and sing Christmas carols. Families celebrate together around a Christmas tree,
and some of us go to Church and admire the crib with the animals and shepherds.
That is a good thing, but after the tree comes down and the crib is put away, a
very bleak world awaits.
Some of us pretend that things are getting better, and
perhaps they are for some. But undocumented immigrants are filled with fear,
the elderly who depend on Social Security dread losing their income, farmers
worry about losing their harvesters, and children might be taught a whole new
set of values and beliefs.
We pray that the Good News will break through and that the
Advent message will be heard. We must be vigilant to keep our country safe and continue
to be a beacon of hope for the rest of the world. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Comments
Post a Comment