‘There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in a cloud” with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’ Then Jesus told them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. ‘Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.’
Luke 21:25-36
Sunday 1 December is Advent Sunday, the beginning of a new Church year. “Advent” means coming, arrival. We’re waiting for Jesus to arrive. We’re preparing for Christmas, for the birth of the Christ-Child – but the Bethlehem story is only one form of Christ’s coming. Christ will come again at the end of time and usher in the reign of God: the one who came to Bethlehem as a baby is the same one who will return in glory. And so Advent is when we wait for something to happen; the new year begins with waiting. And that leads to a key question: how do we live while we’re waiting for Christ to return?
That’s where the reading from Luke’s Gospel comes in. This fits our time of year – here in Aotearoa it’s pohutukawa that tells us summer is coming. Jesus advises us to be alert, watchful, and hopeful – and not to get caught up in excessive pleasures or excessive worrying. What do we tend to do? Do we find ourselves side-tracked down the excessive pleasure route – what one paraphrase calls “parties and drinking and shopping”? Or do we find ourselves burdened by “the worries of this life”? What’s it like for you?
Because Jesus is telling us that both those ways – the drinking and shopping kind, and the fretting and worrying kind – are just distractions. Instead, we’re to be alert and hopeful, and use our time well. Waiting can be hard, but Jesus is asking us to choose hope over distractions, and to be people of hope for others. In Advent as we look back to Bethlehem and forward to the last days we also remember and celebrate God coming to each of us every day in a hundred different ways. And that’s a good way to start a new year.
Happy New Year!
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