Happy New Year

No, I'm not delusional (at least I don't think so, others may beg to differ). I'm simply greeting those whose lives are centred around the revelation of God-in-Christ. We order time differently from much of the world; we order our time around that life changing revelation. And thus, our new year began yesterday with the first Sunday of Advent.

I haven't always conceived of the year beginning with the anticipation of Christ's coming. That is a rather recent development in my life. However, it seems that even from an early age I recognized that there is a deep significance in this season, something that goes beyond the surface materialism and consumerism that our society suggests as the highest human virtues.

As the story goes, I was three years old when I uncovered the emptiness of our American Santa Clause narrative. It simply didn't satisfy even my undeveloped sensibilities about significance and meaning. So, I asked my mother, "Is Santa Clause real?" Of course, keep in mind that I was speaking from the paradigm of the U.S. Mid-West as a three-year-old; the Santa Clause narrative is shaped in quite distinct ways in that context. I'm not in any way suggesting that the older traditions surrounding St. Nicolas are insignificant or void of meaning.

Well, my mother honestly answered, "No, the Santa Clause that you know of isn't 'real'." This didn't surprise me at all - I had been suspicious for some time now. She then went on to describe the Christian narrative and the reason that Christ-followers set this time aside as a season of celebration. This narrative of God's self-giving gift resonated deeply within my little three-year-old being. She went on to explain that we anticipate the day when the King Jesus will come again.

Mom, knowing that I understood her, sent me off to play. Hours went by and she heard no peep from me. This was odd, since I was a rather precocious and curious child. She began to be a little concerned and went to investigate my whereabouts. She quickly found me on the front porch, quietly waiting. When she inquired what I was doing out there in the cold; I replied, "You said that Jesus was coming back soon - I'm waiting for Him."

My understanding of the parousia has changed significantly since that day, but this is still a time of childlike anticipation for me. A time of waiting. Waiting for Christ to come again in my life and to fill me with the purpose, joy, and peace that can only come from Him. And He does come again and again in the most unusual ways. Maranatha.