Advent 1C (Luke 21:25-36)

​The theme of Advent is two-fold. One is about waiting for the birth of Jesus whereas his second coming holds the other. The former aspect of Advent isn’t too difficult since it’s already embedded in our culture. Think about an Advent calendar, counting days for Christmas or Christnas presents. What’s more troubling is the second part, the second coming, which is often linked with the end of the world or Judgment Day. It’s troublesome not because of its apocalyptic depiction but because of its tardiness. This passage from St. Luke’s gospel was written at least 2,000 years ago. For Christians in the first century, this passage was taken literally that Jesus would soon come and change the entire world but for us, we need to honestly ask ourselves how to make sense of this apocalyptic message from the gospel lesson. We eventually come to the fundamental question of what the second coming is really about. 

What’s helpful to get this message correctly is to 1) internalize it and 2) make it happen now. We tend to look outside to see if the second coming is happening or the powers of heaven are shaken. Instead of turning our eyes on the outside, let’s look inside ourselves and ponder on whether we are waiting for God-with-us, Emmanuel in the depth of our being. Are we longing to invite God-with-us into our hearts? Do we have spiritual eyes to welcome the coming of Emmanuel within ourselves? Are we awake? This awareness of the perpetual coming of God-with-us here and now is the essence of Advent spirituality. 

Jesus urges his friends, “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and stand before the Son of Man.” It’s easier for us to go to the place where God becomes the Judge of all and decides who’s going to make a cut to heaven. This Holywood-like imagination is too much of a stretch from my perspective. It is unrealistically fear-mongering and is against Jesus’ intention whose focus is always on the here and now moment. 

What we do right now matters more than what will happen to us in the future or when we die or afterlife because our actions in the present moment bear the fruit of what’s to come. As we pay attention, being alert at all times as Jesus says, to the here and now moment, we can change the course of our past actions that have made up who we are and how we function. We cannot change our past actions but can change and shape how these past actions influence us in the present moment and future. God’s forgiveness does not only touch our hearts and breaks the wall of guilt and shame. But it also paves the new way for us to make a change in our lives and those of others that we care about. 

The cliche of “be present” or “stay in the present moment” becomes meaningless if being present is the only purpose. It’s a tool. It’s a means to actually transform our actions in the present moment with the help of the Holy Spirit to have an impact on our present and future actions. The “strength to escape all these things that will take place” that Jesus talks about is this very strength to stay in the present moment and to make adequate changes in our lives. 

Notice and examine what habits we are programmed to repeat by default. Accept and acknowledge our shortcomings and refuse to repeat them as we trust in God’s faithfulness and compassion to us. This whole process of staying in the present moment and examining our past actions, mental and physical, to transform the course of our present and future actions takes us to encounter the God-with-us in Christ. 

This season of Advent is usually themed with waiting which can suggest a passive attitude toward the coming of God in our midst. Waiting doesn’t have to be passive, however. We are to passionately wait as we stay alert with the present moment first and examine our past actions rather judiciously than judgmentally to transform our actions in contemplation. This is our way to “stand before the Son of Man” during this Advent season. 

So in this first week of Advent, I want to invite all of you to meditate together whenever you are free with the phrase: “Be alert at all times. Stand before the Son of Man.” Sit in silence as you breathe comfortably. When you feel distracted, use those sayings as your anchor to hold you back to the present moment. Let’s try this as a way to passionately wait. May we experience the compassionate presence of God deeper during this Advent season. Amen.