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"Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means,
"God is with us."
Matthew 1:23
It was a little upsetting to plug “Advent” into
the Google search engine on the Internet and find
that half or more of the initial “hits” had
absolutely nothing to do with Christ, the church,
Emmanuel, the coming of the Messiah, or anything
in the least bit spiritual. Hit number 2 was for
Advent Software, “a
full suite of products for institutional
investors…” Number 4 was for
Advent International Global Private Equity, “one
of the world’s largest private equity firms…” Hit
number 5 was for Advent Networks, which “has
pioneered the first business-class IP access
platform for the cable industry…”
Did you notice,
also, that the stores had some Christmas
decoration and merchandise before Halloween, and
shifted full gear into their Advent as soon as
Halloween passed. Their Advent; waiting to count
the cash that the commercial holiday that has
obscured Christmas brings. And, of course,
Halloween had more of the trappings of a Satanic
Christmas, appropriating things like lights, and
wreaths, and dioramas- although much of that in a
Christmas setting has little to do with true
Christmas anyhow.
It is difficult to avoid being cynical during
Advent and particularly close to Christmas. This
is such a special time of year. Yet every year the
true meaning and the true sense seems to be driven
further and further into the background.
But, you know, nothing has really changed much in
more than 2000 years. Christ was not born into a
world where everyone awaited and celebrated his
birth. Herod sent emissaries to kill him.
Thousands of infants near his age were slaughtered
in an effort to ensure that Christ did not come
into the world.
Enough of the darkness. This is about the
beginning of the new year, the new church year.
Advent began December 1. We are four Sundays away
from Christmas, and we are preparing for the
coming of our savior, Jesus Christ. We are
preparing to welcome Emmanuel, God is with us.
This is both a
somber and a joyous time. The advent of God with
us acknowledges that we are sinful and live in a
sin-filled world. But the advent of God with us
also acknowledges
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only
Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not
perish but may have eternal life.” John 3:16
Advent is a time to both remember why Christ
came into the world and to celebrate our life in
Christ.
Since Advent and Christmas is about God incarnate
in his son Jesus Christ, it seems also that the
season will have meaning that we give it. What
others do that is not appropriate to the season
does not need to affect us. We are the people of
the Baptismal Covenant. We acknowledge that we are
the stewards of God’s goodness. Certainly we
beckon and welcome all of mankind into that
relationship, but the failures of others to
understand the great gift we have to celebrate
does not take away from our Advent and Christmas,
unless we let it.
The Baptismal Covenant begins on page 304 of the
Book of Common Prayer. Consider pausing at least
once a week during this Advent season and
meditating on the Baptismal Covenant and how you
can grow in living out that covenant in
thanksgiving for the great gift this season
celebrates |
