Christmas Hope

Today marks the beginning of Advent. I’ve never really thought much about what Advent is, other than it being something of a count-down to Christmas. However this week I read a post by Sarah Bessey entitled Advent is for the ones who know longing. I just love the way Sarah uses words and this phrase in particular jumped out at me:

Sometimes the only thing left to do is simply hold on to each other and dance in the darkness, waiting for the light.

After reading her article, I was intrigued to find out more about the traditions around Advent and what it really means. Britannica defines Advent as being (from Latin adventus, coming”), in the Christian church calendar, the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ.

The first part about preparing for the birth of Christ wasn’t such a revelation, as I said I’d always seen it as a countdown period anyway. However, I’d never considered Advent in relation to the second coming. Sarah’s article also hinted at Themes of Advent, something else I didn’t know about, something else to look into. I discovered that each Sunday of Advent has a specific theme:

• The first Sunday is Hope
• The second Sunday is Peace
• The third Joy
• The fourth and final Sunday before Christmas is Love.

Because today is the first Sunday of Advent, and because I need it in abundance right now, this article is focused on Hope, a word that is often used in relation to the Christmas story. But what are we hoping for?

I wonder, when we use this word, do we use it in relation to seeing the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel? The verse I quoted earlier seems to point to that – waiting for the light, for things to get better. This Hope is about being able to imagine a better future, which is necessary for Resilience – the ability to endure through the darkest of days. There’s a certain longing in this kind of Hope, like a wish, or a dream of something better.

I think the celebration of Christmas does bring the Hope of a better life, and that’s not a bad thing. After all, it’s our creative spirit that gives birth to Hope, because without creativity we can’t even begin to imagine the light that leads to Hope. And our creative spirit comes from the Creator of all that is seen and unseen, in Whose image we are created, and Whose Spirit gives us life. However, is resilience and positive feelings the only reason God gave us the gift of Creativity? Until this weekend I hadn’t thought much more about it, other than how amazing that we should receive this pretty awesome gift.

I do believe there is more, that there is another Hope, one that is informed by Faith. Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Simeon’s Hope and Faith was fulfilled when the infant Christ was presented at the Temple as we see in Luke 2: 29 – 31

Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:

The Lord promised Simeon that what he hoped for would come to pass, and he waited for it in faith until the end of his days, never wavering. His Hope was also a longing, but because of Faith, it became a Knowing as well.

But what about now? Yes, part of Advent is this period of preparation for celebrating the birth of Jesus, but there is no longing in that, we’re looking back to something that has already happened. The looking back is important as it reminds us of the promise of Hope, but Advent is also about looking forward. So what are we looking forward to?

We look forward to the promise of Jesus’ return, which He gave us the night before he was crucified, Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14: 1-3

We are now, as Simeon was then, waiting. And the longer we wait, the harder it gets. But the advantage we have over Simeon is that we have something to look back to, that first Christmas, which reminds us of Hope. A Hope that is affirmed and made stronger in the promise of Jesus’ return. A Hope that is longing. And because of Faith, a Hope that is also a Knowing.

For many of us, this period of Advent, of preparing for the celebration of Christmas, is also a period of brokenness and deep longing. May the promise of that first Christmas, along with the promise Jesus Himself made, bring you Hope. And may that Hope be a Knowing, a Confidence in what you Hope for and an Assurance of what you do not yet see.