First Sunday of Advent
Advent is this beautiful
season that comes upon us when even nature all around us is playing out this
theme between darkness and light. In
ancient times the pagans looked at nature going through this cycle, when the
days became shorter and the light and sunshine seemed to be disappearing and
they had to figure out ways to try to give them hope because they saw that the
light was losing the battle between darkness and light. The light was becoming shorter. The days shorter. Darkness seemed to be winning and triumphing
and so they saw evil in darkness’ overcoming light. So that’s why in many parts of the world
where the whole idea of Christmas trees and lighting Yule candles and so forth
began, because they needed some way to overcome darkness. When the Christian community saw this, they
were experiencing it as well. And they
said, “But we as followers of Jesus, we have the Son,
S-O-N of eternal light” And that is why—we don’t know for sure when
Jesus Christ actually was born but the Christian community figured in this time
of the year, darkness and light being interplaying, Jesus was born on
Christmas, on December 25 and they came then to put that date, because it
fitted what was happening to them just on a very natural human level. Now Jesus, the Son of God, the One who brings
eternal light to overcome the darkness of sin is born, comes into our
lives.
Take all that and keep it on
mind, really advent. As I said earlier
it is a beautiful season of hope. We
know who we are waiting for. Jesus comes
to us in this Eucharist this morning.
But in the gospel, powerful gospel, which really can be very frightening
huh? Because again Jesus lays out before
us all these scenes of that final coming.
Remember we as Christians will always believe, “Christ has died, Christ
is risen, Christ will come again.” There
will be that final coming of Jesus.
When? Again we don’t know. That’s why Jesus says, “Beware, be vigilant
at all times that your hearts do not become drowsy.”
Okay what do we get drowsy
with? What are the things that distract
you and me from a deeper awareness of God’s presence in our lives? I would imagine at this time of the year, probably
for a lot of us. Now I wasn’t at the Mall
at 5:00 on Friday morning, but some people evidently were. Shopping, decorating, writing Christmas
cards, getting ready for parties. All
these things are good in themselves but they can become distractions. As Jesus says, “Do not be caught up in drunkenness,
carousing, and the anxieties of daily life.
Now let’s be honest. How many people here this morning have some
anxiety in their life? Hello! Everyone of us here. So what is Jesus saying? “Dismiss it?
Deny it? Put it under?” No.
“Be aware. Wake up. Be vigilant.”
We don’t overcome anxiety by trying to wash them underneath the rug, or
push them underneath. But we open up our
hearts to a deeper awareness of how God is present in your and my life to help
us overcome, to deal with these anxieties, this depression, this tension, this
uncertainty, these fears, these trepidations that are all around us.
You and I as Christians are
called to walk into the midst of all these things and to bring light, to bring
hope, to bring a sense of peace. The
world may be falling apart around us. In
many ways it is. Economically,
emotionally, ecologically. It’s all
going on around us and we can be people that say, “Oh woe is us.” You come here this morning and I do as well
to find some hope, some peacefulness in the midst of all the anxieties and the
turmoil.
Take all these things that
are going on inside of you and me, we place them on the altar. We give them over to God. Not that we don’t have to deal with them, but
that we find somehow a wonderful awareness that there’s more to it than
this. That you and I are part of
something far, far bigger and greater than any hurt, pain, frustration,
disappointment or even any joy as well.
There is something more than just what you and I see on one level. Awareness, awakening, where does it come
to? Many of our anxieties come from
where we remember the past. Oh, this
happened, we’re still guilty about it, we’re still carrying the pain about it,
the hurt. Or perhaps we are anticipating
the future, what if? Oh my gosh will I
be ready?
That’s why Jesus says, “Beware, alert, vigilant in the now.” That’s where you and I find the peace of
Christ. It’s right here now in this
moment. In other words that we can see
before us and in front of us the person, the anxiety, the pain, the hurt. So many times we look beyond the person. Here’s someone right in front of me and this
person just wants me to be with them, but I’m more concerned about, well I
should have been over there or I have to go over here and you miss the
now. All you and I have is right
now. There is where we look for the
presence of the Lord.
I came across a beautiful
little reflection. I don’t know where I
got this from but part of my repertoire of things. I don’t know who wrote it but I think it
captures really this idea talking about the present moment and the Lord coming
to us right here and now. You can listen
to it and put your own examples into it but this is what the person is saying:
I looked at you and smiled
the other day. I thought you’d see me,
but you didn’t. I said, “I love you” and
waited for what you would say. I thought
you’d hear me, but you didn’t. I asked
you to come outside and play ball with me.
I thought you’d follow me, but you didn’t. I drew a picture just for you to see. I thought you’d save it, but you didn’t. I made a fort for us back in the woods. I thought you’d camp with me, but you didn’t. I found some worms and such for fishing if we
could. I thought you’d want to go, but
you didn’t. I needed you just to talk
to, my thoughts to share. I thought
you’d want to, but you didn’t. I told
you about the game hoping you’d be there.
I thought you’d surely come, but you didn’t. I asked you to share my youth with me. I thought you’d want to, but you couldn’t. My country called me to war. You asked me to come home safely, but I
didn’t.
Life is short. Life is precious. To live in this moment. To be aware fully of the person, the people
perhaps closest to you. Their hurts,
their desires, their tears, their joys and to be there in that moment is where
the Lord puts you and me. Not in the
past. Not in the future, but right here
and now in this moment to be Christ for him or her.
Be awake. Be vigilant.
Jesus comes to you and me now.