On Advent and Waiting

We are in the thick of Advent, a time where we wait for a coming celebration. It is a season which, in and of itself, is a celebration of waiting.

And waiting…is…hard.

There is profound pain in and around us. The world suffers before our very eyes, and it feels like there is naught that we can do. Our own struggles pain us: depression, a loss of job, a loss of a loved one, infertility, chronic pain, and so much more. We have done everything we know how to do, and still, we wait for a new day, for a celebration.

We yearn for what we hope, a dream too long delayed.

One reason Advent is so important is because it reminds us that waiting, even amidst suffering, can be a holy exercise. God is not just in the celebration of Christmas, but God is in the anticipation of Christmas as well. If the story of Jesus tells us anything, it is that God desires to associate with our suffering, to dwell with us while we wait for a new day to come.

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Nine months ago, some of the first restrictions were being put into place in the United States to help protect people from COVID-19. The global community has been suffering together during this pandemic, as we seek to find the best way forward. We all wait for a return to normalcy, whatever that even means.

It has been difficult, to say the least, trying to navigate the complexities of life during a pandemic. We wait and wait and wait, wanting to hug our friends, to eat at our favorite restaurant, to sing alongside people at a faith gathering, or to simply walk in a grocery store without a mask. We are avoiding these things because we love our neighbor and want the best for them, but it has been hard experiencing prolonged trauma.

A day will come when we can all gather like we once did.

A day will come when we can break bread together.

A day will come when we can hold hands with those we love while singing a hymn.

We do not know that day, but what a beautiful day it will be. For now, we wait. It has been nine months of a sort of advent, and it will be a few more months still.

But let me tell you, God is not just in the celebration to come. No, God is in the waiting with us now. God is in Advent as much as God is in Christmas.

Waiting is hard, yes, but we can learn much about ourselves, those around us, and the wider world while we wait. God is here too.

Happy Advent, my friends.