Advent 1: Waiting

We are not a people who like to wait for much of anything. "Christmas" started at least 10 days ago- probably longer. Wait? For December 25? You've got to be kidding.

But Advent is about the history of waiting for the coming of a savior, whether the waiting in the generations before Jesus, or the two millennia of waiting since. I was struck this morning in church by the words of a song that is in our hymnal but was sung by the choir. Actually is was the words of the last phrase of each verse:

These days of adventure when all people wait are days for the advent of love.

The word adventure struck me. Now on some days I would have reacted negatively to a forced play on words with advent and adventure. But not this morning. I have used that word often in these past few weeks with my moving and a new job and all. I am in the midst of one of my periodic new adventures. So the word struck me.

I looked in up on Encarta and found the background:

13th century. Via French aventure- Latin adventurus "about to arrive," future participle of advenire (see Advent)

So it wasn't a stretch of word-smithing or anything else. The two are related. In fact "Advent" is not so much about waiting as about a journey. In fact, if I understand the word history, putting ad in front of venire gives the sense of anticipation of something that is about to happen.

And adventures are sure about travel through time and experience on a journey to somewhere. I (obviously) like the idea of a pilgrimage. As I wander through my life and the life of the world around me it is an ongoing search for the presence of the Holy, the Word of God around me, the possibilities for those great themes of Advent:

• Love
• Hope
• Peace
• Joy
  

They are always around, always a possibility, always about to be made visible. These next weeks of the Advent season are a time for that journey to lead us back to the manger and the baby and the mother and fathers and shepherds- and maybe even ourselves.

Let's not rush too fast, too headlong into the season ahead. We might miss even more signs of what He is trying to do.