Ah, Advent is here with its welcomed message of slow down and prepare for the coming of the Lord to counteract the hustle and bustle of the commercial season. Well, our Gospel reading from Luke this first Sunday of Advent isn't exactly what I expected or needed to help slow me down! Words and phrases such as "dismay", "perplexed", and "die of fright" tell us that things will happen to all so that even "the powers of heaven will be shaken". No, instead, these words give us a jolt.
The rest of the message from the readings, however, help us to stop short of panic or fear and rather lead us to acknowledge the faithfulness of the Lord in our past, present, and future.
It is simply difficult to maintain a true focus on the Lord in our daily lives unless we make that a priority, no matter what the season or current "pull" of life. Sometimes we are complacent and sometimes we are inattentive. Sometimes we even veer into the extremes of becoming "drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life." We often need the jolt of strong words or "near misses" to bring us back into focus or rather to help us re-focus on the important things that carry us through life.
The first reading from the book of Jeremiah reminds us that the Lord will still keep promises of old, no matter what we have done in the meantime. Those promises are the steadfast rock to which we should hold fast. The second reading from the letter to the Thessalonians encourages us to redouble our efforts and continue to follow the instructions we have been given through the Lord Jesus in order to please God. Jesus tells the disciples and also us to "be vigilant at all times" and pray for strength. Jesus reminds us that in spite of any difficulty, current or in the end times, we should "stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand."
I think that this is a hard-to-hear and harder-to-implement message when one is in the midst of a calamity. Literally or figuratively covering one's head and curling up into a ball seems the more reasonable and likely position than standing erect! I am not in favor of the "bring it on" mentality!
If I stop there, however, I truly miss the Good News which is present in our readings. The Good News is that because Jesus died and rose from the dead, our redemption is assured. We need to remember that Jesus is our Risen Savior and try to live as we have been instructed.
Because the glory of Easter followed the horror of Good Friday, we, too, can stop cowering and face life... and our eventual death.
I find it helpful to dedicate
specific times and thus attention to prayer, regardless of the past
or present. This is a way to allow the Lord to shape the future. The
Lord knows I can't navigate the "calamities" of this day in my world
or the larger world without my Rock. May this Advent season find us
alert to recognize the promises of the Lord and seek ways we can
help them come to fruition in our lives and the lives of others.
(Comments to Lanie at lanieleblanc@mindspring.com.)