A blessed First Advent!
In Latin, the word “adventus” (advente – in Latvian) means coming, arrival; the cognate word in Greek is “parousia”, or the theological term “parousia”, which unmistakably refers to Christ’s second coming, not his first.
What do Christians await during the Advent season? The Christ child, who is born anew every year? Hardly. Even though we know the Christmas song so familiar and melodious to everyone, with the words “Every year anew the Christ child comes to us in this world of evil and begins to redeem us..”.
Honestly, I have always found it hard to sing this song in the congregation’s ensemble, because its words created confusion in me – how can that be, Christ has already come to earth once, died, rose again, and granted salvation!
During the Advent season we become aware that Christ has already come, has already suffered for our sake and risen again, and has promised to come back not in the form of a small, helpless child, but as King, Ruler, the righteous Judge, and the almighty Saviour. Do we await Him as such? Do we await Him at all? Advent, or the awaiting of Christ, allowed the early Christians to endure even in the hardest times, to risk their lives, to share love, to show care, to speak boldly, to stand up for justice, and to proclaim that the baptism of Christ makes every one of us equal. Advent did not allow them to remain passive and indifferent towards those around them.
Advent gave birth to a new society – the Church, whose roots are not to be sought in this reality, but in the Kingdom of Heaven. Advent is not only a time of outward silence; it is a state of the heart that waits and at the same time acts. It is a hope that does not put us to shame, but does not let us stand still, because Advent is a verb, which means movement. Let us enter Advent not with a false peace, but with a heart ready to accept God’s working in our lives!
Aļesja Lavrinoviča