Advent Is...Hope (part 1)

Psalm 122

Yesterday was the last Sunday of the Christian calendar. It was a day in which we celebrated the rule of Christ in our lives. We listened to stories which reminded us that the sole purpose of Christians is to live in such a way as to make Christ the center of our lives. Every word we speak and every action we perform is a direct reflection of what is in charge of our lives; let the world know that our life is a reflection of the invisible God.

This week we begin the countdown to Christmas, otherwise known as Advent. Advent is the time of the year we watch and wait for the coming of Christ into this world, and to an extension into our lives.

For all the years I've been following the lectionary I have never noticed this one fact: the Sunday we celebrate the fullness of Christ in our lives is immediately before the Sunday we await the coming of Christ into our lives. I've always looked at Reign of Christ Sunday as the last Sunday of the year, as much as I've seen the first Sunday of Advent as the first Sunday of the year. Until this year I neglected to make the connection that in order for Christ to fully be in our lives we have to first let him into our lives.

I note that our passage describes just that. The passage proclaims that peace can be found within the walls of Jerusalem. As I read the passage this morning I thought verse 8 had a typo. "Peace be within you." is not the same as "Peace be with you." However, as I thought about it more I came to the realization that it wasn't meant to be.

This Psalm paints a great picture of a group of people who are standing just inside the gates of a great city. These people proclaim the city to be bound firmly together, a stronghold for those who stand together at its entrance. The Psalmist concludes with a proclamation of hope in saying that the city will offer prosperity to all who love it.

The thought for today is whether our hope is rooted in our love and the love of others around us. Often we stand at the entrance of greatness, but have difficulty going in. We let things unseen hold us back; lack of confidence, fear of being alone in our journey, judgment from others. The truth is that if we keep moving forward into the greatness we will find that the love which surrounds us will help us find the peace we desperately search for.

During this Advent season you will be invited to step through the gate of a great city and into the love of those around you. Know that the love which lives within this city comes from a people, and a God, who only want to help you realize the hope for which you search.