The 25th day of December is not the end of Christmas but the beginning. And before then come the days of Advent, the days of looking forward.
We all know far too well that the season of Advent is usually submerged in our anticipation of Christmas these days. It seems to be inevitable that office parties and school nativity plays and even Christmas dinners must all fill our busy lives in the days before Christmas proper begins. (Or is it?)
But pleasures are never as sweet if we set aside no time to look forward to them. If we begin the celebration of Christmas half way through November, it will come as no surprise if we feel a little jaded with the whole idea long before we get to the first day of Christmas itself.
So amid all the rush and the bustle of these December days, how can we best benefit from the season of Advent?
One way is to take a little time out - make a little space - to ask God, to ask ourselves, what it is that we’re rushing towards - what it is that we really want this Christmas - what it is that we really need.
Advent is a time for looking forward. It is a time when we remember how the prophets and people of ancient times looked forward to the coming of a sign of God‘s love and goodness that came to fruition in the birth of his Son, Jesus, the Christ. We ourselves look forward to receiving the gift of the Christchild in our hearts this Christmas. And we also look forward to the return of Christ at the end of days to bring this age to its close and open for business the Kingdom of God. (This aspect of Advent often gets forgotten.)
These are the Advent themes which map out before us the nature and scale of the Advent adventure.
It isn’t all about rustic shepherds and tinsel angels and cuddly sheep. This is about the very stuff and meaning of life - our wants and needs answered in the gift to us all of God‘s Son, born into our world at Christmastime.
I wish you all a very thoughtful and peaceful Advent and a joyful and blessed Christmas.
John-David Yule