advent

a waiting journey

Advent. Adventus—Latin for “arrival.” Coming. On the way. Just around the corner. (Note: we currently are in the second week of Advent, 7-13 December.)

Advent is perhaps the season on the liturgical calendar that feels the least appreciated. (Although to draw attention to itself, Lent might clear its throat!) Even in the church, people tend to pay nodding acceptance of it or ignore it altogether. It might seem boring, even to the point of watching-paint-dry-on-the-wall boring. Advent wants to say, “Hey, I’m here! Why do you want to rush in a mad dash to Christmas?”

We’re in a hurry because we’re impatient. Advent is about waiting. It’s not just about waiting, but waiting with expectation. It’s waiting with joyful, hopeful expectation. It’s waiting with confident expectation. It’s a season of penitent waiting. No, “penitent” is out of style! Let’s call it “reflective” waiting.

Actually, reflective waiting would be a vast improvement to the way we usually operate. Without that mad dash to Christmas, we can actually catch our collective breath. This speaks to how our spirituality operates. The retailers, the television, the internet, the powers that be—they want us to race mindlessly. A proper Advent spirituality invites us to be mindful.

That also applies to the second advent of Christ. “The Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” Advent people live with awareness. And that’s not exactly easy! In fact, it’s something that must be addressed over and over. Too often, we whine from the back seat, “Are we there yet?”

However, the beloved hymn has a different message:

“O come, O come, Emmanuel, / And ransom captive Israel, / That mourns in lonely exile here / Until the Son of God appear. / Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!”

Is Advent too often unappreciated? Maybe so. But with Advent, the journey is just as important as the destination.