Thomas Merton, an author and priest, wrote an article called, “Advent – Hope or Delusion?” One of his key observations is:
“…the fact remains that our task is to seek and find Christ in our world as it is, and not as it might be. The fact that the world is other than it might be does not alter the truth that Christ is present in it and that His plan has been neither frustrated nor changed: indeed, all will be done according to His will. Our Advent is a celebration of this hope…”
John 1:9-13 goes through a series of expectations from the reader of what a Savior would look like. Ultimately, Jesus’s entrance in the world was not the way people expected. He did not come as a king or highly regarded. Rather, He came as a baby to a seemingly overlooked parents – Mary and Joseph.
As Merton says, “Our task is to seek and find Christ in our world as it is…” The powerful promise of our passage today comes from John 1:12: “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…”
Advent invites us to wait and acknowledge the reality of the world that is. Our ways are not God’s ways. Believing in Jesus means relinquishing our plans and expectations. Our security does not come from the circumstances of this life going our way, rather our security results from our identity as a child of God. We can embrace the reality of this world while realizing Jesus has the final say. That’s Good News. That’s light in the darkness.
Our challenge is to seek Jesus in our current reality. That means recognizing our expectations of this season and then relinquishing those to Him. That means open our eyes and ears to His agenda – to recognize the people and situations He has placed us in.
PRAYER
Jesus, I relinquish my expectations of this season. Help me to see my identity as Your child. Open my eyes and ears to the world as it is and where You have me.
PRACTICE
Write down three or four expectations you have about this Advent season. Then take a few moments in silence. Ask Jesus to help you see these expectations as He sees them.
Photo by Rebecca Peterson-Hall on Unsplash
