One of the greatest gifts the season of Advent gives to the
church is the gift of waiting. As our attention spans shrink and our cravings
for instant gratification grow, the more we need waiting space in our lives.
Waiting is a gift that fills us with blessings. Waiting blesses us with hope,
wonder, patience and self-control.
This year’s Advent art is an abstract depiction of a dawning
morning. It is that moment when the sky glows in soft, low light, but the sun
has not yet revealed itself over the horizon. That’s how if feel about waiting
for God to act in my life. I feel like I’m never alone, but rather surrounded
by God’s presence like dimmed, soft, pre-dawn light. I wait for a fully
revealed sunrise over the horizon. The metaphor is also quite true for Christian
Advent waiting. We live in the pre-dawn light of Emmanuel while we wait for the
full light of Christ’s return.
Accept the gift of waiting this season. Let us slow our
rhythms for a fuller experience of time and discernment. Let us enjoy the gifts
of wonder, hope and patience. Let us walk towards the horizon in the soft, dim
light. God is faithful and will answer our prayers. And sooner or later, the
day will come.
