Advent Day 1: Expectation

Advent is the season of expectation,
of waiting,
of seeking the light that is going to break into the world on Christmas morning,
in the shape of a little tiny, brown baby, born into poverty,
to a people without political power,
to a mother who is unmarried,
a father who is absent throughout his life,
during a time when the king of the people
has a deep, abiding paranoia.

Advent is the season of expectation.
that God is going to break into the world,
turn power structures upside down,
change our lives,
change our hearts,
and help us to love one another better.

Read John 1:1-5.

The God child will enter into the world—a world full of oppression—not to shiny Christmas carols, lighted houses, and big sales. Instead, the God child will enter into a world of religious registries, government-led genocides, a world too unsafe to survive.

At every turn, the family of the God child has to resist. Joseph resists family pressures by not “putting away” Mary. Elizabeth resists societal norms by celebrating with the unmarried mother. The young family resists the genocide by emigrating to Egypt.

So how do we resist those same forces? How shall we resist white nationalists striving to “make America great again?” How shall we resist governmental positions sold to the highest bidder? How shall we resist brutality, hate speech, and the loss of rights, so hard won so short a time ago, for our LGBTQ brothers and sisters?

We shall do it in small acts of resistance. We’ll visualize world peace. We’ll read poetry. We’ll call our legislators. We’ll wear safety pins. We’ll fund organizations who are resisting. We’ll gather together to celebrate God’s goodness. We’ll work to make the way straight for this little baby Jesus.

TODAY’S ADVENT ACTION:  Grab a picture of light entering into the world. Think about it in terms of good breaking into the world. Visualize the light entering into your heart and the hearts of others.