The season of Advent is a time for remembrance and anticipation. We look forward to Christ’s second coming while looking back on his first coming as the babe in the manger. Just as Jewish people looked back on the Exodus out of Egypt as the foundation of their nation as God’s “chosen” people and now have faith that God will act for them, Christians look back on Christ’s birth while looking forward to the coming of God’s kingdom when he will come for his people.
With Christ’s birth, the promise was fulfilled for our salvation (John 3:16) and completed with his death and resurrection. Now, as we wait and prepare for the second coming, we are tasked with growing in stature while carrying on Christ’s work until he comes again. That means dealing with division, disease, poverty, grief, and violence as we go about our lives—no easy task.
As COVID 19 has spread around the world taking thousands of lives, causing loss of jobs, and creating frustration and division, we demonstrate our love of Christ by setting the example of hope while protecting others and ourselves by following the required protocols and by getting the vaccine when it became available. We grieve with those who have lost loved ones, remembering that we have eternal life and will meet again in the next life. We follow Christ’s example of feeding the hungry and clothing the poor on whatever scale is needed as thousands have lost jobs and insurance coverage while incurring huge medical expenses. And with so much division, hatred, and escalating violence, we continue to love our fellow man and stand firm in our faith that God will make things right in his own time. We look to God and remain alert to opportunities to do good, listen to his word, and keep his precepts. In so doing, we have hope for the future, joy in God’s presence and provision, and peace as we work in this troubled world.
As his children, our hope is in Jesus Christ; He has come to provide salvation to a lost world. He works through his followers in the chaos of this life, and he will come again to gather his people home.
Ozelle Scrutchins