Hope and Confidence in a Change of Era

SCRIPTURE REFLECTION FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (November 29, 2015)

Scripture Readings:
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

As I write this reflection on the week before the First Sunday of Advent, I am still reeling from the vicious, “barbaric” (as Pope Francis called them) attacks in Paris on November 13, and the equally vicious hostage taking in Bamako, Mali, this past week. Besides the shock of these attacks, however, there is the realization that these may only just be the beginning of an excelerating number of terrorist attacks in the West and throughout the world. Everyone in the world now feels terribly vulnerable. No one is safe. Even though he said it in a different context, the words of Pope Francis really ring true: we are not just living in an era of change; we are living in a change of era. These are apocalyptic times, and so our readings this first Advent Sunday really have resonance in our lives. They offer us words of hope and confidence.

The gospel reading from Luke is particularly apocalyptic, and in powerful images it describes how we might feel in our world today. Jesus in the gospel speaks about signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars—the whole cosmos is shaken as the powers of heaven are shaken. These words seem to be echoed in President Obama’s description of the Paris attacks as a darkening of the sky. Jesus speaks of how the nations of the earth will be in dismay by what sounds like climate change—“the roaring of the sea and the waves.” People will be so upset and afraid that they will simply die of fright. These are images I think that we can relate to as we contemplate our world today, filled with wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria; threatened by ecological disaster; overrun with desperate refugees; menaced by ISIS and Al Quaeda.

In the midst of this new, truly apocalyptic era in which we are living, our readings speak to us today nevertheless of hope and even confidence in God’s presence and action in our lives. We definitely live in earthshaking times, but we also live in a world in which God is constantly working and calling us to join in that work. In the midst of what seems like a hopeless situation for Israel in Exile, the prophet Jeremiah speaks words of hope and confidence: the days are surely coming, he says, when the promised Savior will appear, and Israel will be safe and secure. Jesus speaks of his second coming and tells us that even in the midst of all the world’s suffering—“when these signs begin to happen”—“stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” God did not abandon Israel, and God will not abandon us. As we celebrate this First Sunday of Advent we know that God has already sent the Savior, and that we can be confident of his coming again to bring justice to our world.

In the meantime, our readings tell us, our attitude should not be one of fear or despair—even in these apocalyptic times—but one of watchfulness, readiness, and hope. Paul prays for the community in Thessalonika to continue loving one another, to continue to be generous, to continue to strive for holiness as the community awaits the Lord’s coming. Jesus calls us to be wakeful and watchful, and not to be distracted by unworthy behavior. He calls us to pray for the strength to endure the hardships of the present, so we will not be overcome by them. We might translate this advice from Paul and Jesus to be constant in living out our Christian lives, to be “on call” in our turbulent world: continue loving one another, continue striving for holiness, continue offering our lives in service and in ministry. We should not shrivel up in fear. We cannot wallow in hatred for our Muslim brothers and sisters. We cannot abandon our Syrian brothers and sisters who seek asylum in our country. Paul calls us to “strengthen our hearts.”

These are truly difficult, apocalyptic times. This is a new era. But as always, God is with us, and God has sent us a Savior. It is with renewed wonder and renewed hope that we await that salvation in these weeks of Advent, and keep on working for it in the meantime.

Image: Airwaves by Kevin Dooley. Found on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.