“Waiting patiently is the foundation of the spiritual life.” Simone Weil
“Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.” Isaiah 40:31
Here it comes again. The season that directly contradicts everything our world is telling us to do this time of year is about to begin. The world says: “Shop!” Advent says “Stop!” The world says: “Party!” Advent says: “Pray!” The world says “Want!” Advent says:
“WAIT!”
Waiting is at the heart of the Advent experience. But such Advent waiting is not passive. It is not an insular work stoppage that removes us from the realities of renewal. It is more of a watchful kind of waiting that is willing to engage in the hard work of preparation: to fill in the pukas (holes) that keep tripping us up as we try to grow and evolve, to level the obstacles that continually arise to make us detour from our true calling, to embrace the possibility that we need to repent, to change our ways, not to mention our hearts, before we can welcome the Full Presence of Christ into our lives.
Advent waiting is expectant, prayerful, active, discerning, mindful, and even sacrificial. It is the solemn witness that too many stocking stuffers can sometimes prevent us from putting on our socks and moving forward into a bold new future. Bishop Stephen Cottrell, who wrote the provocatively-titled book “Do Nothing: Christmas is Coming!” has said: “Waiting is not a waste of time but, as we see in nature, a time for change, growth, and transformation. Advent is the season in which the church celebrates waiting as an essential part of the human experience – it is much more than the countdown to Christmas or the season of shopping.”
The timely truth of Advent is that it is the true antidote to the “isms” that have kidnapped both Jesus and St. Nicholas, and are holding them hostage until we pay the ransom of exchanging a season of much needed preparation in order to arrive at Bethlehem far too soon. Advent comes just in time to remind us that birth cannot be rushed. The full term of faith observes the whole season, so that all is ready, and all are ready, when the child is born.
So, what are you waiting for? Advent is here. And I can’t wait. To wait……
