This Advent season I've been pondering these words from Henri Nouwen's The Genesee Diary:
"The expectation of Advent is anchored in the event of God's incarnation. The more I come in touch with what happened in the past, the more I come in touch with what is to come. The Gospel not only reminds me of what took place but also of what will take place. In the contemplation of Christ's first coming, I can discover the signs of his second coming. By looking back in meditation, I can look forward in expectation. By reflection, I can project; by conserving the memory of Christ's birth , I can progress to the fulfillment of his kingdom. I am struck by the fact that the prophets speaking of the future of Israel always kept reminding their people of God's great works in the past. They could look forward with confidence because they could look backward with awe to Yahweh's great deeds."
"I pray that Advent will offer me the opportunity to deepen my memory of God's great deeds in time and will set me free to look forward with courage to the fulfillment of time by him who came and is still to come." ~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
Our Christmas celebration at home has been greatly simplified this year due to schedule constraints. This has opened up a simpler season of focus on Christ's coming, surrounding our Advent Wreath and some readings to the kids. At one level I've always been in a state of "waiting" due to chronic pain. Even now, for instance, I am "waiting" to get through an aggravated shoulder injury that is keeping me off the computer (my husband is being my secretary by typing this as I dictate!)
And it's hit me that this is the mindset that has always been in Scripture. Old Testament Jews had to wait for Messiah - to just sit there and suffer until he came, That's what made his first advent so meaningful for them. And New Testament Christians are also waiting for him to return again, to set all things right and remake the world. I find myself waiting for him to come create that New Earth in which pain will be only a distant memory.
And so, as God's f0llowers always have, we wait for Jesus to save us.
"I pray that Advent will offer me the opportunity to deepen my memory of God's great deeds in time and will set me free to look forward with courage to the fulfillment of time by him who came and is still to come." ~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
Our Christmas celebration at home has been greatly simplified this year due to schedule constraints. This has opened up a simpler season of focus on Christ's coming, surrounding our Advent Wreath and some readings to the kids. At one level I've always been in a state of "waiting" due to chronic pain. Even now, for instance, I am "waiting" to get through an aggravated shoulder injury that is keeping me off the computer (my husband is being my secretary by typing this as I dictate!)
And it's hit me that this is the mindset that has always been in Scripture. Old Testament Jews had to wait for Messiah - to just sit there and suffer until he came, That's what made his first advent so meaningful for them. And New Testament Christians are also waiting for him to return again, to set all things right and remake the world. I find myself waiting for him to come create that New Earth in which pain will be only a distant memory.
And so, as God's f0llowers always have, we wait for Jesus to save us.
