Waiting for Christ

Kia ora whānau,

This Sunday we focused on the reading from Mark 13:24-37. It was the first Sunday in Advent, and we’re waiting in anticipation of Christmas. During Advent we remember the people of Israel waiting for the Messiah, the king to rescue them. We look forward to the second coming of Christ, the king arriving to rule and reign in his fullness. All the while we live in this sense of already and not yet. God’s kingdom has come but not in it’s full reality. In this season we wait.

We wait for what the prophets said would happen. We wait because the Messiah has come in the flesh before. We wait because we believe and see with hearts and eyes of faith. We keep on waiting because our hope is a person named Jesus.

We spend a lot of time waiting in our world. We anticipate the change of seasons and coming holidays. We stand with time on our hands to get on the bus or to cross the street. We get antsy for our names to be called at the GP, the dentist, AA, or the principal's office. We try to be “busy” in that time by reading a magazine, people-watching, or looking at our phones. It’s a tricky thing to not waste time and yet still be alert. It’s not too difficult for short periods of time, but very hard when the waiting time seems to drag on and on.

Last weekend my daughter was a flower girl in a wedding. She has known about her role for about 11 months. Every week for 11 months she has been asking us when the wedding is. She doesn’t really have a sense of time as 30 days feels like 30 years to her. This last month she’s been doing a daily countdown until the wedding. Her excitement never waned but only increased with every passing day. On the wedding day she never walked; she only bounced, jumped, pranced, and danced. Her insistent excitement over the last 11 months is the type we are to have in waiting for Jesus’ second coming. We do not know the day or the hour, but our anticipation should grow. Our waiting should be watchful. We should not be silent, but vocal in our countdown. Let us stay awake for we do not know when he is coming!

In Christ,

Wendy