Facing the Darkness in the Season of Lights

If you have always wanted a sterling silver harmonica then you ought to have purchased one of four Tiffany Advent calendars - available for $112,000 US. The harmonica, diamond encrusted watches and other baubles fill the calendar’s 24 days. More appropriate to my pay grade – Tim Horton’s has an Advent calendar with coffee pods of varying flavours. Great ways to get you in a reflective space for the period before Christmas we call Advent.

Self-indulgence and conspicuous consumption may not be the best spiritual keys to the Season of Lights. For me, this year might be titled Accumulating Sorrows. As I spend time exploring the Advents of Jesus, the loss of friends, the sorrow of others and the pain in the world is very present to me. He arrived once, entering time, now he arrives in bread and wine and in one another and will arrive in some manner, some unknown day to finish the recreation of the new heaven and earth.

In the 4th Gospel, John writes “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it”. (John 1:4-5 NRSV) There is darkness contesting the arriving light of Jesus – and we struggle with that darkness even as we celebrate the first arrival of Jesus.

There is a lot of pain in our world’s streets; the hopes of peace, and removal of pain, death and tears is still not fulfilled. We ask, what has changed in 2000 years? The message of forgiveness, and reconciliation of the world to God has continued but the darkness is still there.

So, we await with patience another Advent – the 3rd arrival of Jesus which will be the climax of history. Now this is where we may seem nutty as a Christmas fruitcake. But we do believe that the justice for which we long, the restoration of creation, things made right in the world will only happen by the initiative of the God who has come to us in Jesus.

Our celebration of the first Advent turns our eyes to Jesus’ final Advent. It is watchful waiting for that which we are powerless to complete but are empowered to work toward. Justice, mercy, truth, forgiveness and reconciliation in the face of injustice, brutality, lies and societal breakdowns are our calling and hope.

I have created a 2019 Advent prayer card which I hope you will find enriches your watchful waiting. In the next few days we will also release another video “On Further Reflection” episode in which I also explore some of these ideas.

Thank you for your ongoing support of this work. May the peace of the present Christ and the hope of the coming Christ be yours this Christmas season. May 2020 be a rich year of watchful waiting and serving for us all.

With Jesus’ Joy,

Norm

P.S. We are grateful for the faithful and sacrificial support of our donors. If you would like to make a year-end gift please click here