Advent Sight: Dualing Advents

Yes, I mean Dual-ing, not Dueling, Advents. The two stories of God coming to be with us in Jesus are not in competition with each other, rather they provide sonorous bookends to the promises of God’s rescuing that offer hope for our lives and for all of Creation.

Jesus coming as a baby begins the fulfillment of God’s promise to rescue and redeem all of Creation. And Jesus’ promise to return in glory offers hope.

These New Testament bookends of hope and waiting begin with awaiting the birth of Jesus, and they end by portraying images of Jesus returning in glory to set things right in the cosmos.

In this returning of Jesus he says, “Behold, I am making all things new.” These words don’t scrap the broken, frail and unworthy – they redeem them; they redeem us. These words offer hope precisely because they promise rescuing and redemption and renewal.

God could have chosen to given up on the world – given up on us, but God doesn’t.

I wonder if anyone has ever given up on you, or if you have ever given up on someone else. I have experienced both, and both feel hollowing.

Yet I wonder if you have ever felt like people should give up on you, and they haven’t. I wonder if you’ve ever not given up on someone. It’s hard, yet it is hallowing – it makes everyone involved a bit more holy.

I wonder if you’ve ever reached your limit with others or situations. You feel like, “We’re good. Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t need (or want) help.”

I recently heard singer/songwriter/author Andrew Peterson say, “Jesus says, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Notice that he doesn’t say, ‘I am making all new things.’”

Jesus is not scrapping us or giving up on us – even if we feel like we’re too broken. And Jesus is promising to make all of us new – even if we feel like we don’t need it.

I wonder how you see the need for rescuing in people’s lives around you…

I wonder how you see the need for redemption of broken systems…

I wonder where you could use renewal in your life…

The Good News of God’s love expressed in the promises (and fulfillment’s) of Jesus’ dual Advents reminds us that none of us are too far gone or far too perfect for God’s healing and restorative work in our lives.

Ask God to heal those systems, the people, and you.

Ask God to help you be an agent of healing and hope in those places of pain and injustice.

This is the Alleluia Hope of Dual-ing Advents.

Thanks be to God. Amen.