Prompts of preparation encircle us.

19Dec
From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
- Matthew 24:32-33, 44

To me, this passage rings of the joyful hope of Advent. Those first chartreuse leaves of summer’s new growth after a dreary winter provide relief, delight, and sustenance, as will the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day. The light and love of Christmas will include the fruits of the fig tree: wisdom, peace, and knowledge. We wait for this new growth, this new saving life. 

Matthew tells us to be ready. Today, prompts of preparation encircle us: Advent meditations, services, opportunities to help others, and wreaths of candles. The stunning sarum blue of the new vestments enlivens us. Neighborhoods, public buildings, and homes sparkle with the lights of hope. Yet how do we truly prepare for the internal dazzle of Christmas without getting lost in its external trimmings? How do we prepare to celebrate and respond to the new growth of the fig tree? 

Admittedly victimized by the demands of the season, I found enduring direction from Henri Nouwen. He calls for “radical waiting,” a waiting that is active. That is, taking a radical stance by giving up the need for control and letting God define our life out of his love and tenderness. There should be no fear, no worry as we actively wait, present to the moment, for new things that are “beyond our own imagination or prediction.” 

This liberating, peaceful, hopeful message arrives with the birth of Christ. The lights of Advent, year after year, illuminate within and without. 

Musical Reflection - O Come, O Come Emmanuel - The Piano Guys

Gracious God, help us to pause, to breathe, and to be ready to receive the things that truly enlighten us. Amen.
Gospel
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