As of today, the 13th November, there is just six weeks to Christmas. It goes without saying we are in such troubled times that the thought of Christmas is greeted with both dread and hope. For Christians, the birth of Christ was also a time of dread and hope; – but I guess traditionally, at least recently, we have focussed on the hope and put dread out of mind. I find it ironic that an advert for a major supermarket is teaching the Church the Christian message, when they say:
“We believe that the world would be a better place if we all gave a little more. A little more thought. A little more time. A little more…well… love. We are not asking much. But we’re asking it of everyone. Because if we all give just a little more love, together we can make a big difference.”
Yes, that is a Christmas message and a Christian hope, but it isn’t the full picture, is it?
And like most of us, I find myself pulled in two directions. Of course I love Christmas with all the images of the perfect family life, of giving and loving, of bonhomie: all of which has something of Hollywood about it. At the deepest, darkest time of the year, I too long for the light and want to celebrate and party. Carols, and their folklore words and tunes, lift the soul. We decorate our homes, send each other greetings and stuff ourselves silly.
However, as Christians, the light that we see in Jesus is not just the light of hope but the light of judgement. Advent is that time of the year where judgment comes to the fore.
The Church of England website says something of this: “Advent is a season of expectation and preparation, as the Church prepares to celebrate the coming (adventus) of Christ in his incarnation, and also looks ahead to his final advent as judge at the end of time. The readings and liturgies not only direct us towards Christ’s birth, they also challenge the modern reluctance to confront the theme of divine judgement.” It continues: “The Four Last Things – Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell – have been traditional themes for Advent meditation.”
I can imagine you reading this and thinking the minister has got a dose of the Scrooge about him this month. But, I think this year we may need to reflect a little more on the true meaning of Advent and Christmas. It’s been a very tough year and the future looks fairly bleak and perhaps we think we deserve a happy Christmas; but around about us, there are many families struggling, children going hungry and lots of people made redundant and some very sick from Covid. And if this is true for this country, imagine how desperate things are in other lands without proper healthcare and national support systems. As I write, there are reports of devastation again on the Philippines as yet another storm destroys millions of homes and floods huge areas around Manilla.
Should we not be making more substantial resolutions – rather than thinking about losing weight and getting fitter in the New Year perhaps we might resolve to look at our use of carbon fuel and plastic, to resolve to make our politicians address the effects of disease and climate change and how we as members of churches can make a difference and help the world survive those two disasters happening on our watch.
In Matthew’s telling of the birth of Jesus, we learn the desperate measures Herod was prepared to go to wipe out the Messiah – Jesus was a threat and he had to be stopped. People with power feared the birth and power of love and hope.
This love and hope was put on the lips of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as she sang the song we call the Magnificat:
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
(Luke 1:46-55 from the New Living Bible translation)
