Anticipating Christmas
Do you like Advent Calendar’s? Since moving to the UK, we have been amazed
at the variety of calendars. Some have little pictures behind the day’s pane. Others
small toys. The best ones have chocolates. Most are a couple of centimeters thick
but I’ve seen ones that are 5 or 6 cm thick. That means there is some serious
chocolate hiding behind each window. Not only are the treats delicious, the whole
counting down to Christmas Day makes the season all the more exciting.
Advent is the season of anticipation. The word Advent means “to come” or “to
arrive” and comes from the Latin term “adventus”. The anticipation is for the
arrival of Christmas Day, the celebration of Jesus the Christ’s birth. Starting four
Sunday’s before Christmas Day, the season counts us down to the Christmas
Season. Historically this has been a time to prepare our hearts and homes for the
arrival of Jesus. Thus decorations, special foods, special songs. We still do much
of this and some are more committed to the traditions than others. One of the
forms of preparation continues to be gifts. We prepare gifts, in part as a response
to the gifts given the Christ child by the Magi. Also in part because we recognize
Jesus Himself as being a gift to humanity.
“How is Jesus a gift?” some might ask. In the Gospels we read that Jesus
came not to condemn humanity but to secure our rescue from death (John
3:16-17). In Luke 4 Jesus himself declares that He has come to bring healing and
help. These are rich and life transformative gifts. In Jesus, people all over the
world experience newness of life. He is the gift beyond all gifts leading us to ask,
“what can I possibly give in return?”
Advent and Christmas songs seek to capture this understanding. One of my
favorite Advent Hymns is “In the Bleak Midwinter” as it gives an answer to this
question. The final verse says: “What can I give Him poor as I am? If I were a
shepherd, I would give a lamb, If I were a wise man, I would do my part, Yet what I
can, I give Him…Give my heart.” That’s it! What Jesus wants from us is our heart, a
decision to walk with Him year round. As we walk through Advent, counting down
the days, enjoying the chocolates and decorations, may we also prepare our
hearts as gifts to Jesus. This is the way to be best ready for His arrival.
Peace — Lawrence Ballew
