Living in Advent
World is falling apart. We watched a picture sequence largely drawn from the events of the last couple of weeks - riot police in Paris & Delhi, a Dafur refugee camp, flooding in Kenya, typhoon in Philippines, troops in Basra, bomb in Baghdad, tension in Palestine & Israel, global warming, World Aids Day - 39.5 m infected, 4,3 new in 2006, 2,9m die in 2006, - in sub-saharan Africa - 24.7 m infected, 2.8 new in 2006 2.1 deaths - 33% of adults in Swaziland are infected - 2m South Africans do not know they are infected. (Source Independent, 1.12.2006)
See also Zimbabwe
In the UK concerns about binge drinking, violent crime, drug culture, debt, stress, asylum seekers, itinerant workers, Ashes. People are longing for change, for purpose, for meaning. Perhaps wealth, or leisure, or celebrity or revolution or harsher laws will bring change. Others wish, expect, anticipate the Kingdom of God - and wonder how they can make it happen.
NT world was not very different - wars and rumours of wars, political tension, revolution in the air, - others get on with normal life, buying and selling, sowing, growing & harvesting. Others anticipate the Kingdom of God - Disciples wonder if with Jesus they will be part of it - a generation on the people of Thessalonica believe it is very imminent, so no need to worry about the normal things of life, perhaps another decade later, with Jerusalem destroyed, the first generation dying naturally, the first readers of Luke’s gospel still anticipate that the Kingdom of God is very imminent - but expectations have had to change and they are reminded of Jesus’ words “Be alert ... and stand before the Son of Man”. 2000 years on - still waiting, reading these text and wondering what do they mean? looking at the world - surely the KoG must come soon .... but still we wait - Advent time.
What are we to do? Live the gospel - “increase and abound in love for one another and for all”, “stand up and raise your heads - tell your story” in words and actions - concern for social justice, for liberation, Give hope, work for peace,
the unlikely evangelist “So in times of trouble, (therefore, at all times), those who see the world differently through the lens of the Jesus event should be sticking their head up and speaking of God's new world, not stooping down and colluding with this world. For when we see this world as we have always known it next to the world as we see it through Jesus (the one 'like a Son of Man'), we cannot help but see the contrast, and see that our salvation is therefore in Christ.”
Living in Advent, we need to have an awareness of the world and willingness to be involved - feeding asylum seekers, collection for South Africans living with Aids, supporting NCH, charity Christmas presents, a Fairtrade Christmas - living lives that bring love, hope, liberation - taking the opportunity to speak about God’s new world as the place where there is purpose and meaning in the confusion and despair of life.