Advent Hope
01/12/24 02:13
Today we begin a new year in the Christian calendar. We begin with hope. The first Sunday of Advent, and the lighting of the first candle in the Advent wreath, focuses our attention on hope. The Christian calendar, and the celebration of Advent is the product of centuries of tradition. The word Advent comes from the Latin word advenus. That word is a translation of the Greek word parousia. Both words refer to the concept of “coming,” and carry with them a sense of preparation for the coming of something that is new and different. The season of Advent developed in the 4th and 5th centuries as a time of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, which is the traditional time of the celebration of events early in the life of Jesus, specifically the visit of the Magi, his baptism in the Jordan River by John, and his first miracle at the wedding at Cana. For centuries the church did not have an official holiday that was focused on the birth of Jesus, his being laid in a manger, and other events reported only in the Gospel of Luke such as the busy nature of Bethlehem due to an enrollment and the visit of the angels to the shepherds.
Before the 6the century, Advent was more tied to anticipation of the second coming of Christ and the hope of the resurrected Christ bringing earthly justice to those who have been victimized by empire and the unfair distribution of resources.
Understanding the history of Christian traditions and practices provides opportunities to understand the deeper meanings of our faith. Neither the Biblical narrative nor the history of the church place undue emphasis on what happens after death. Despite the preaching of many contemporary Christians, the focus on heaven and hell, reward and punishment based on the beliefs held in this life, is not a major theme in the story of Christianity. The dominant theme, and the source of our hope, is not what happens in an afterlife, but rather on the coming of justice to this world.
The first candle of the Advent wreath that we light today has also been called the prophet’s candle. It is traditional to read words from Isaiah or Jeremiah on the first Sunday of Advent. Todays’ message of the prophet in the Revised Common Lectionary is about the coming of justice and righteousness:
“The days are surely coming, says YHWH, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘YHWH is our righteousness.” (Jeremiah 33:14-16)
Advent hope is not the hope of heavenly reward, but rather the belief that God is engaged in the everyday operation of this world. Injustice is not forever a part of this world. Human empires are temporary. Justice and righteousness are coming to this world.
The message of the prophets was deeply ingrained in the community into which Jesus was born. The first hearers of the Gospel message were faithful Jews who grew up steeped in the history of the Exile - a period of 70 years when many of the people of Israel were forced into refugee status and carried away from their homeland into Babylon beginning nearly 600 years before the birth of Jesus. What they learned from the history of exile and from the words of the prophets is that the power of human governments is temporary. The oppression of empire is temporary. Just because the people suffer a political or military defeat does not mean that God has abandoned them. God is still on the side of human freedom and justice and freedom and justice will prevail in the long run.
Advent hope is hope for a better life for those who have become victims of politics and governments. It is hope that refugees will find homes, that victims will experience justice, that impoverished people will be given sufficient food and shelter. It is practical hope for those who have been marginalized by the cycles of human power, corruption, and greed. We light the prophet’s candle as a symbol that we hope for a better world.
Hope is much more than a puff of emotion. Part of the reason that we begin each year with hope and return to hope each Advent is that we need to practice hope in a world that is often eager to crush hope. Hope is active participation in the bringing of justice and life to this world. Hope inspires us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, provide care to those who are sick, visit those who are imprisoned, and stand with the victims of injustice. Hope is working for justice despite the presence of injustice, working for freedom for all despite autocrats and empires. Hope is daring to live in balance with the world and fairness with our neighbors.
Hope is where we begin.
Our beliefs about God, the world, and ourselves can be a source of agency to act. Hope comes from our story that one life can make a difference in this world. Anchored in the reality of this world, we are not always optimistic. Hope is not the same as optimism. Hope is the understanding that we can face challenges and difficult circumstances without becoming bitter, discouraged, or despairing.
Today we begin again with hope in our current embodied lives. We affirm our belief that our actions can make good things happen. We assert our conviction that we have a role to play in this life that goes beyond anticipating. Our belief that good things are yet to come urges us to engage in the process of making good things happen now.
May we open our lives to hope this day.
Before the 6the century, Advent was more tied to anticipation of the second coming of Christ and the hope of the resurrected Christ bringing earthly justice to those who have been victimized by empire and the unfair distribution of resources.
Understanding the history of Christian traditions and practices provides opportunities to understand the deeper meanings of our faith. Neither the Biblical narrative nor the history of the church place undue emphasis on what happens after death. Despite the preaching of many contemporary Christians, the focus on heaven and hell, reward and punishment based on the beliefs held in this life, is not a major theme in the story of Christianity. The dominant theme, and the source of our hope, is not what happens in an afterlife, but rather on the coming of justice to this world.
The first candle of the Advent wreath that we light today has also been called the prophet’s candle. It is traditional to read words from Isaiah or Jeremiah on the first Sunday of Advent. Todays’ message of the prophet in the Revised Common Lectionary is about the coming of justice and righteousness:
“The days are surely coming, says YHWH, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘YHWH is our righteousness.” (Jeremiah 33:14-16)
Advent hope is not the hope of heavenly reward, but rather the belief that God is engaged in the everyday operation of this world. Injustice is not forever a part of this world. Human empires are temporary. Justice and righteousness are coming to this world.
The message of the prophets was deeply ingrained in the community into which Jesus was born. The first hearers of the Gospel message were faithful Jews who grew up steeped in the history of the Exile - a period of 70 years when many of the people of Israel were forced into refugee status and carried away from their homeland into Babylon beginning nearly 600 years before the birth of Jesus. What they learned from the history of exile and from the words of the prophets is that the power of human governments is temporary. The oppression of empire is temporary. Just because the people suffer a political or military defeat does not mean that God has abandoned them. God is still on the side of human freedom and justice and freedom and justice will prevail in the long run.
Advent hope is hope for a better life for those who have become victims of politics and governments. It is hope that refugees will find homes, that victims will experience justice, that impoverished people will be given sufficient food and shelter. It is practical hope for those who have been marginalized by the cycles of human power, corruption, and greed. We light the prophet’s candle as a symbol that we hope for a better world.
Hope is much more than a puff of emotion. Part of the reason that we begin each year with hope and return to hope each Advent is that we need to practice hope in a world that is often eager to crush hope. Hope is active participation in the bringing of justice and life to this world. Hope inspires us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, provide care to those who are sick, visit those who are imprisoned, and stand with the victims of injustice. Hope is working for justice despite the presence of injustice, working for freedom for all despite autocrats and empires. Hope is daring to live in balance with the world and fairness with our neighbors.
Hope is where we begin.
Our beliefs about God, the world, and ourselves can be a source of agency to act. Hope comes from our story that one life can make a difference in this world. Anchored in the reality of this world, we are not always optimistic. Hope is not the same as optimism. Hope is the understanding that we can face challenges and difficult circumstances without becoming bitter, discouraged, or despairing.
Today we begin again with hope in our current embodied lives. We affirm our belief that our actions can make good things happen. We assert our conviction that we have a role to play in this life that goes beyond anticipating. Our belief that good things are yet to come urges us to engage in the process of making good things happen now.
May we open our lives to hope this day.
