What kind of waiting?

Today in the Church year we enter the season of Advent.  Traditionally Advent is – among other things – a time of waiting and hope.  But what are we waiting for?  

It seems that as the world becomes supposedly less complicated through technological advances, we still find ourselves waiting.  Waiting for that package to arrive that we ordered online in record speed.  Waiting in line at the self-checkout aisle at the supermarket, designed to eliminate the evils of waiting.  Waiting for the phone to ring.  Waiting for that great job to come along, etc, etc.  It never ends.  Researchers tell us that the average person will spend 5 years of his or her life waiting in line, 2 years playing telephone tag, and six months sitting at red lights.  That is over 7 and a half years of waiting!  The bottom line is that even in our fast-paced world, with modern conveniences, we are all waiting for something.  The interesting thing is: what do we do with our waiting? 

The ancient Hebrew patriarchs, kings, prophets, and priests also waited expectantly.  They were waiting for the coming of the Messiah whose eternal reign they believed would end the oppression of the world.  In the Old Testament reading set down for today the prophet Isaiah expresses this hope.  Let’s hear it – Isaiah 2:2-5.

In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.  Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.”  For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.  O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!

Then, hundreds of years later, born in Bethlehem their hope was finally realised, although because Jesus was not the king many expected, many did not even recognise him. 

And even after all those years of waiting, the final realisation of the Messiah’s eternal reign is still yet to be seen, coming in the future, when the baby born in Bethlehem returns in power to judge the living and the dead.  That is what our Gospel reading today speaks of when it exhorts us to be ready for we do not know when this will be.  That coming of Christ which is often referred to as the Second Coming.  The reading is Matthew 24:36-44.

But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.  Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.  Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.  Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.  But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.  Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

So the Advent season for Christians is a time of waiting:

– waiting to celebrate again the event at Bethlehem for which the Hebrew people waited so long in hope. And we can rejoice in the wonder of God’s love for us in coming to share our life with us;

and

– waiting in hope for the ultimate coming of Christ at the culmination of history.

But is that all this is about?  Does Christ only come twice, the first coming as a baby and a second coming as judge?  Bruce Prewer, reflecting on this Matthew passage reckons that that would be short-changing the Gospel.  He says (and I quote):

I certainly believe in the awesome finale: the ultimate coming of Christ at the culmination of history.  He is there at the end of all things, drawing all the threads of faith, hope and love together in one glorious consummation.  But that is not a second coming, maybe it’s the millionth, or billionth, or the trillionth, or the uncountable-th coming.

In Jesus, the true Son of God came to us, and he still comes, and he will come.  To focus only on the grand finale is to miss the glory of today.  And to miss the glory of today is to miss a wondrous opportunity for celebrating the Presence of Christ.

So what do we do with this Advent waiting?

Firstly, we need to keep reminding ourselves that God is the one who continually comes.  We have not been left in limbo between these two major events.  In John’s gospel we hear Jesus’ words: “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.  In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:18-19) 

Jesus is offering us his continuing presence and life.  This waiting then is an active waiting and implies engaging in the new life that Jesus brings.  Yes, we may legitimately wait in hopeful anticipation for a better day, an end to the injustices, oppression, pain and suffering of this world, but are we ready and willing to be active participants in the bringing about of those Kingdom values?

Secondly, we need to ask ourselves – will we actually recognise the coming of Jesus, the form of God’s salvation, or the arrival of God’s Kingdom?  Are we willing to go to the places where God’s Kingdom is manifested and allow God to conform our dreams and desires according to his priorities?

When I read about the people around Jesus, I see a large number of people who eagerly waited for God and did everything possible to prepare for his coming, and still they missed it.  They didn’t recognise a Messiah who prayed in lonely places, worked on the margins, and challenged their pre-existing lifestyles and religious practices.

What are we waiting for during Advent?  We are surely waiting for God to act, but we may be surprised by what that action will look like.

Whether or not we recognise the fulfilment of God’s hope and coming Kingdom will depend on our own humility and commitment to listening for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Left to our own devices, we may miss out on the very things we’ve been waiting for.

Let me share some more words of Bruce Prewer where he suggests the difference Christ’s coming makes and the ways we may recognise his coming.  He says:

This very day-

Christ comes in glory to bring into the light our double standards, divided loyalties, and our elaborate self-justifications.

He comes to expose our lip service to God and our devotion to possessions, life style, and ephemeral pleasures.

Christ comes among us to lance the painful abscesses of guilt which many people cover up with harsh criticisms of others.

He comes to locate and remove the stubborn cancer of racism and all those other malignant prejudices that ruin lives.

Christ comes with tough mercy to confront the deceit of our selective consciences and our many smug rationalisations.

He comes to challenge our slide into apathy, and to awaken us again to the neglect or abuse of minority groups in our nation.

This very day-

Christ comes in glory to uncover and reaffirm the true worth of loyal, ordinary followers, who are indeed the salt of the earth.

He comes to bless and reinforce the faith that motivates loving souls to forgive their enemies and pray for their persecutors.

He comes to lift up the fallen and bruised souls who have tried valiantly yet have too often stumbled or been tripped.

Christ comes to still the stress or the panic of those who feel they are pushed or stretched to the very limit.

He comes to give a helping hand to the overburdened, and to bestow his own special peace and rest on those who are most weary.

He comes to give forgiveness to the repentant, bread to the hungry, and a cup full-and-running-over to the thirsty.

All this and more is happening today.

So let’s not passively wait!  Let’s open ourselves to Christ’s coming into our lives.  Let’s get into the action!  Let us commit ourselves to prayer and action.  And let’s start now as we listen to the voices of some who are waiting for something better and spend time in silent prayer for them.