In a recent issue of Wired magazine, an article was featured that explored attempts by individuals to disappear. By disappear, I do not mean in the magic sense, but rather in the identity sense. From fake drowings, to fake airplane crashes, men and women have reacted to the pain of marital distress, financial fear and personal despair by running away, vanishing – disappearing.
In this Season of Advent, we celebrate the God who does the opposite. In the face of great pain, difficulty and the overall brokeness of the human condition, we worship the God who appears, runs toward the pain, and physically enters the scene. The Advent of Christ into the world brings us again to the central vision of the Gospel – that Emmanuel, God With Us, is in the business of appearing… at just the right time.
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Great thoughts here Dan. In a broken world, our sense of safety often leads us to hide. The human life wasn’t originally created to live this way. We were meant for life in the present, fully alive but vulnerable (“The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” Gen 2:25). Sin’s corruption brought the component of shame into our disintegrated humanity. Since then we have all been trying to hide when the level of shame and fear overwhelm our trust in God or our sense of safety among others. In this season we are to expect, wait and trust. But in our broken worlds, we don’t expect anything, we won’t wait any time, and we don’t trust anyone. Our cup runs over with shame and fear. And cynicism has become the froth on our cup of sin-stained lives.
The Advent speaks powerfully of a new way to live! A posture towards Christ Himself- to expect, to wait and and to trust. I love how you put it – that “Christ …is in the business of appearing”. Yes, and amen!
Thanks Kim. A new way to live. This is the gateway, the highway, that is the Advent proclamation.
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