Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent which made it even more apparent to me that Christmas is coming and coming soon! There are four Sundays in Advent, the period before Christmas celebrated by many Christians around the world for the past 1,500 years. The word advent comes from the Latin word adventus which means “coming.” Advent is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the coming of Jesus as we also await and prepare for his second coming. Advent has always been a special time for me but also a difficult one as it’s not easy to wait and prepare for Christmas without becoming quickly ensnared in the trappings of what Christmas has become- the consumerism, materialism, and a “feel good” holiday. Last Friday during chapel we watched this video about Hope, which is the theme for the first week of advent. Through that we learned that while optimism is choosing to see in any situation how circumstances could work out for the best, biblical hope is not focused on circumstances but on God and his son, Jesus Christ. It is God’s faithfulness in the past that gives us hope for the present and the future. In contrast, looking back at human history does not give us much (if any) comfort for the present or confidence that things will be better in the future. As John 3:16 beautifully states, it was because of God’s love for us that Jesus came to the earth, and it is in God’s continued love for us that we can have hope for the future, while we wait for Christ’s return.
