On the Road Together
Reflection for the 1st Sunday of Advent 2024
“People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” (Luke 21:26-28)
For those of us entering into Advent and thinking ahead to Christmas, these do not seem such festive words, do they? As we end the Church year in an apocalyptic spirit, meditating over the past week on liturgical readings from the book of Revelation, we might have expected to begin in the new Church year with readings anticipating the joyful celebration of the birth of the Messiah. Instead, this Gospel for the First Sunday of Advent confronts us with a context that is not only frightening and foreboding, but it may also feel a little too close to the chaos and uncertainty of our own, unsettled times.
In this passage from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus warns the disciples that following his time with them, not only will life not be easy for them, but that many of the foundations of faith and security they have relied upon will be shaken and razed to the ground, including the Temple of Jerusalem itself. As we know from Scripture scholarship, the writers of the Gospels were addressing the Christian community decades after the death and resurrection of Jesus, times when in fact they were facing persecution by religious authorities. Then in 70 AD, the Romans destroyed the Second Temple as they waged a war against the Jews in Judea, who at that time were in revolt against Imperial rule. These words of Jesus, as expressed in Luke’s Gospel, address the Christian community living in very dark times, indeed, probably about ten to twenty years after this war and the destruction it wrought.
But no matter that this Gospel was situated in that particular historical time and place, the perennial substance and truth of Jesus’ instruction remains as relevant today, and speaks directly to how we are called to live and lead in our own times. Yes, it may feel like very basic foundations and security are being rattled as war is being openly waged in Europe, the Middle East, Sudan, and in the many parts of the globe experiencing violence and acts of quiet aggression that does not make the headlines, but which nonetheless wreak havoc on people’s lives. We are facing crises of forced migration, and inhumane trafficking of vulnerable people, some of which is entirely hidden from our day to day lives, but which impacts tens of millions of people. And among so many other crises, we cannot fail to see the earth itself, our common home, imperiled by rising temperatures which will dramatically affect life as we know it.
The Fall of the Rebel Angels (1562) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
Perhaps that is enough of an apocalyptic take on our contemporary world for us to find parallels with this Gospel? My intention is actually not to add to our depression and certainly not to encourage despair, but rather to situate our Advent longing for redemption in our Messiah, our Immanuel, in the real context of the world in which we are now living. It is in this world, at this time, that Jesus speaks to us and says, “stand up straight and raise your heads! Look and see all this for what it is, and do not despair, for your redemption is at hand.”
It is in this real context that Jesus instructs us not to distract ourselves with entertainment, get lost in the comfortable familiarity of our day to day routines, or numb ourselves in any of the many ways we might do so to “take the edge off.” Instead, Jesus says, “stay sharp, be vigilant.” Any day, we may have the opportunity to prove ourselves of his trust in us to do what is right, good, compassionate and merciful. At any moment, in any encounter, we may be faced with hard choices and tempted to take the easy way out, duck a necessary confrontation, or opt for a peace that is not just. At any moment, we may have the chance to turn the other cheek, exercise forgiveness, or welcome the stranger. No matter the circumstances, we have a mission in life that remains constant, a discipleship to follow his way. It is a mission that is always fresh, relevant, and more than a little uncomfortable.
Jesus is essentially telling us that no matter what the state of affairs, we are nonetheless called to live and lead differently, with hope and conviction that he is with us, and that our redemption is truly at hand.
As leaders, do we sometimes feel the tension between the natural human impulses and worldly conventions that trigger us to act out of fear and the very different inspirations and responses that are led by the Holy Spirit, in imitation of Jesus? If as we take an honest and realistic perspective of the world and the times in which we live now, we are sometimes drawn into feelings of depression or paralysis, how do Jesus’ words stir us to rediscover courage, hope, and the energy to do what is right and good? What grace do we require to meet and match the times we’re living in with composure, resilience, and the unwavering commitment to choose love? This is a way we await and prepare for the birth of the Messiah, by not waiting to live and lead differently here and now.
With you on the road this Advent,
David and the DL Team
