Hope
Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of hope. It's an ironic day to celebrate hope, at least in our current culture, where the days before have largely been a frenzy of buying, shopping, eating and overindulging. What is there left to hope for when we've already done, bought, eaten and had everything?
I remember, as a kid, hope meant going through the ads and the catalogs (yes, this was long before the internet, kids!), circling what my brother and I wanted for Christmas and saying, "I hope Santa brings these things this year." Of course, what we wanted and hoped for was always more than Santa could fit in his sleigh, but yet we hoped right up until Christmas morning.
As we get older, our hopes tend to take on more "this world" aspect. I hope I get a good grade on that test. I hope I have enough credits to graduate in four years. I hope she says yes. I hope this job works out. I hope I'll have enough to provide for my family. I hope I'll have enough to take care of my retirement. And so it goes. We hope and wish and long for things to have, possess, own.
And along comes Advent which calls us to hope for...what? Some who only see Advent as "preparation for Christmas" might begin once again hoping for things that might be under the tree. Or, if you're in my church, you might be hoping the sermons will wrap up earlier. (Not likely!) But here's the difference between what we usually hope for and what Advent calls us to hope for: the things we usually hope for might or might not happen. I might or might not have enough money this month. I might or might not get that new television or computer or tablet. I might or might not wrap up this sermon before sundown.
But the hope Advent calls us to is something certain. The one whom we are waiting for will come and rescue us. And he will come again and save us. All throughout the Bible, prophets and preachers proclaimed that this one in whom we put our hope, even when we don't see him, is trustworthy. Our hope is never in vain. The one who came through for those in the past will come through for us as well. We may or may not get what we hope for under the tree, but what he promises—salvation, light, eternal life—is guaranteed. You can hope for it, and you can count on it.
I remember, as a kid, hope meant going through the ads and the catalogs (yes, this was long before the internet, kids!), circling what my brother and I wanted for Christmas and saying, "I hope Santa brings these things this year." Of course, what we wanted and hoped for was always more than Santa could fit in his sleigh, but yet we hoped right up until Christmas morning.
As we get older, our hopes tend to take on more "this world" aspect. I hope I get a good grade on that test. I hope I have enough credits to graduate in four years. I hope she says yes. I hope this job works out. I hope I'll have enough to provide for my family. I hope I'll have enough to take care of my retirement. And so it goes. We hope and wish and long for things to have, possess, own.
And along comes Advent which calls us to hope for...what? Some who only see Advent as "preparation for Christmas" might begin once again hoping for things that might be under the tree. Or, if you're in my church, you might be hoping the sermons will wrap up earlier. (Not likely!) But here's the difference between what we usually hope for and what Advent calls us to hope for: the things we usually hope for might or might not happen. I might or might not have enough money this month. I might or might not get that new television or computer or tablet. I might or might not wrap up this sermon before sundown.
But the hope Advent calls us to is something certain. The one whom we are waiting for will come and rescue us. And he will come again and save us. All throughout the Bible, prophets and preachers proclaimed that this one in whom we put our hope, even when we don't see him, is trustworthy. Our hope is never in vain. The one who came through for those in the past will come through for us as well. We may or may not get what we hope for under the tree, but what he promises—salvation, light, eternal life—is guaranteed. You can hope for it, and you can count on it.
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