Advent is truly an encounter not merely a waiting for someone. Today is the time of salvation not tomorrow or another time. It is not about wrath. God’s wrath, even in the OT, is always accompanied by his forgiveness to those who turn back to Him. Salvation is someone coming to meet us and lead the way. Today has salvation come to this house as our Lord said to Zaccheus.
There is an element of surprise as Zaccheus experienced it, he never expected that he is qualified. But a surprise of great joy. Salvation comes to a humble and contrite heart. Today begin preparing for the coming of the Lord. This causes a certain urgency. We belong to a church that gathers us to prepare for the last times, the end of days; the church itself forms part of these last times. The church is to usher in the kingdom, its very nature is to eventually die and disappear for the kingdom of God will take over and reign over all.
Most of us once in our life or in some quite moments, have thought of heaven or have desired that the Lord come soon not out of fear but glad expectation. It is the spirit that has been given to us that makes us sigh and long for the kingdom especially when this desire is enhanced by trials and sufferings in life. But yet nobody knows when the end will come. It is a call to preparation. If we were to know when the end will come most probably we will behave well and most probably the motivation would be either for reward or fear of punishment. What a sad relationship that is. It puts Christ aside for the real motivation is self- serving.
Our advent, our joyful waiting must be contiguous to the coming of Christ in glory. The coming of Christ ought to be the crowning glory of our waiting for his coming. It is a life spent in justice, love and peace – traits belonging to the kingdom of God. Christ ought to be really an eternal continuation of a Christian’s relationship of love with Christ lived now on earth. Love with the Lord is not brought about by a threat or impending judgment. The life of a Christian is the life of Christ lived now with his or her brothers and sisters. It is not a life conducted on basis or reward or punishment.
The first christians were looking forward to this second coming of the Lord with great enthusiasm. Yet we fear it; and we have a fascination on the details of how the world will end and avidly looking for signs but hardly speaking of the earnestness to see Him whom we love.
Rock bottom is most of us are scared. And there are those who feel smug… for at last the enemies of Christ, their enemies will get their comeuppance. This kind of waiting has no warmth or love at all.
For the christians the thought of the imminent parousia heigthened their love for christ. Not on a dogmatically defined Christ. That would be ridiculous at that time. They were waiting for the living Lord a Lord that has not been captured by the human mind , the Lord beyond the knowledge of human beings. The Lord of majesty and glory beyond our imaginings, who once lived among them. Therefore the christian is left with hints only and responds to it in faith not demanding signs. He lives his life with the commandment of love for God and neighbor. They witness the world that Christ is already here at work in their lives. It is the power of this Lord that helps them live His life in joy now.
Advent is not about rapture, about vindication of our beliefs as opposed to those who do not believe as we do. Advent is the time for all who are of good will, of joining others in glad anticipation as a consequence of leading a good life. Advent makes a good life here on earth meaningful because of its promised end. As the angels once sung, the coming of the Lord are for those who are of good will. The idea of advent is really understood only by happy people. People who love people. The more the better. They will no longer exclude any brother or sister. What good is being right if our self-righteousness draws the worst in others or turns away people from christ and his church. Christ will rescue us from the limitations of our ideas and institutions. Nothing we have built to make us feel safe and righteous will remain. Not even our piety. This God of ours had initiated reaching out to all by speaking to us in a language we cvan understand. The language of humanity – through his Son who became like us except for sin. He wanted give dignity to our humanity and spend our life here on earth to its fulness. The motif of Advent is really joy. Only truly happy people eagerly await for the coming of the Lord.