Advent is a season marked by waiting, watching and preparing. At its fundamental level, Advent begs the question: Whom are we waiting, watching and preparing for?
John the Baptist beckoned us this last Sunday to, “Prepare the way of the Lord!” Here’s what theologian Frederick Buechner suggests we are waiting for:
“The world says mind your own business, and Jesus says, There is no such thing as your own business. The world says, Follow the wisest course and be a success, and Jesus says, Follow me and be crucified. The world says, Drive carefully — the life you save may be your own — and Jesus says, Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. The world says, Law and order, and Jesus says, Love. The world says, Get, and Jesus says, Give. In terms of the world’s sanity, Jesus is crazy as a coot, and anybody who thinks he can follow him without being a little crazy too is laboring less under a cross than under a delusion.” (Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations with Frederick Buechner).
Whom are we waiting, watching, and preparing for?