Advent is the Season of Expectation

There is Hope, Peace, Joy and Love in Expectation….

Dr. Alwin Spence

Dear Readers,

As Christians, we are presently in the Advent Season, a time beginning on the last Sunday in November, to Christmas Eve. It therefore includes four Sundays represented by four lighted candles, of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. These we take into Christmas to celebrate,
not only the birth of Jesus, but also His second coming. The prophet and forerunner of Jesus, John the Baptist, while he waited in jail to be executed by King Herod, raised the question, which is most important to Advent and to Christian theology.
John asked: ” Are you the One that is come, or are we to wait for another.”
This question was sent to Jesus who did not answer with a yes or no, because Jesus
does not proclaim Himself openly as the Messiah. Instead He proclaimed The Kingdom of God, and then pointed out his “messiah-ship,” such as, making the lame to walk, giving sight to the blind, cleansing the lepers, giving hearing to the deaf, raising the dead and providing
economic regeneration to the poor.
All the negative things today that are characteristics of a broken present world will cease to exist in an expected New World. The Messiahship of Christ was different from what was expected. They wanted Him to turn the tables and settle the score with the oppressors.
When we examine the moods, hymns and prayers of this season, we recognise that all it is doing is to open us to new ways of thinking and acting.
Advent is a time of Expectation, it is a time of waiting for the coming of the Savior into this world, and what happens when He comes.
Mary, the mother of Jesus is joyful carrying the unborn, just as most parents, grandparents and all, share in the great Expectation of the unborn and make elaborate preparation for the soon-to-be-born child. There is Hope, Peace, Joy and Love in Expectation.
At Christians we share the same four characteristics in our Expectation of the second coming.
Today we are being stirred to get involved in the Ministry of Christ and help to transform this world. Just look around you, what can you do to help make this world a better place?
We are fortunate to be living on this side of Resurrection and more importantly the establishment of
the Church. We are a part of His Body ( the Church). We are not people in the world just drifting, or adrift with uncertainty of whom we are, how we should live, or where we are going.
We belong to his community of believers which is dedicated to Him, instructed by Him and
carrying out His ministry.
We have an identity. So as disciples, you and I, with mutual support, must align ourselves with His Ministry to carry out works of mercy and to care for an imperfect world.
Yes we still have injustice, powerlessness, exploitation, scarcity and violence. These may challenge our faith and expected transformation but we must not give up.
So as we move from Advent into Christmas, the question is: How can I help in the process of Restoration?
Answer that question, and then do what you can.