The first week of advent, we look in two directions. We are preparing for Christmas, a time to remember and celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus. But we also look forward to the second coming of Christ.
In opposition with the feverish consumerism and mandatory jolliness of the season, advent calls us to sit, wait and watch. We balance between expectation and memory. How do we prepare for the second coming, something we cannot predict? Being constantly ready feels traumatic, but we must remember the way Jesus came to this world the first time. He came to us in humility and vulnerability, so we look for his second coming amongst the lowly; serving and loving one another.
