As I write to you the church is abuzz with activity as the Advent Festival takes shape. What a beautiful community event to begin this journey to the manger, and the celebration of the birth of Jesus! This is a season of preparation, anticipation, waiting, longing. We punctuate the season by upholding four spiritual realities: hope, peace, joy, and love. This is our tradition. This is the way we make our way.
But as we have been getting ready for this journey Julie and I have had a fair bit of conversation about how difficult a time “hope” is having these days, what a beating “peace” has taken this year, how hard it is when “joy” doesn’t come easily, how love is in need these days.
It is not like these realities don’t exist in the world. But sometimes it feels like they have been buried under the hardships of life and conflicts in the world. Or maybe we have allowed them to go to sleep within us. They are still there but they lie dormant within us and within the world.
So, here is the call. Advent is here and “Now is the time to WAKE UP!” It is time for us to wake up to the reality of hope, for Jesus is on his way. It is time for us to wake up to the reality of peace, because the prince of peace is coming. It is time to wake up to the reality of joy for the songs of angels are audible if you listen closely enough. It is time to wake up to love because love needs all hearts wide awake and ready.
God has seeded the world with these realities. God is all around us. Wake up.
Blessings, Will