Dear Friends in Christ,
Advent is the season that holds together the tension between our unbridled anticipation for what is coming and the hard realities of this world. In the lead-up to Christmas it is so easy to be distracted by all the lights and tinsel and pretend everything is alright in the world, in our communities, and in our own lives. Yet as Episcopal Priest Fleming Rutledge reminds us, “Advent begins in the dark.” The season begins with no Christmas ornaments and with the candles around the wreath unlit. As Canadians we really notice the darkness at this time of year, reminding us of the darkness in our world. The season of Advent actually sets out to lay bare the fragility of our lives, naming the grave reality of our shared predicament, refusing to distract us with tense and light. Yet it does not remain there — as the long dawn of Advent begins, as we walk in darkness, an every-growing and ever-kindly light shines upon us (Isaiah 9:2)— one that lets us see reality more clearly. We begin to see the world for what has always been — a world broken and in desperate need of a saviour. And in the lighting of the candles we find hope, the hope that God is bringing about a future as surprising as a crucified man being raised from the dead. And so here we are, waiting in hope. Waiting for Jesus.
This year my family is keeping Advent a little differently. Yes, we will still have the wreath on the table and slowly light the candles as Christmas approaches, but our Advent calendar is going to look different. A lot different.
Rather than one of those cute calendars that you open little doors and discover a chocolate or some little trinket, this year we are going to put things into our calendar. Things such as hygiene products and non-perishable food items. As a family we hope a reverse Advent calendar will help us follow Christ in the tension between the world as we find it and our hope in for God’s final redemption.
As many of you know, the Daily Bread Food Bank has reported nearly a 40% rise in need for food banks and that 1 in 10 Torontonians have had rely on them at least once. The rise in rent, gas, and food has pushed many people — including those amongst us — to the edge, and sometimes over.
What can we do?
Each week we light a candle and the light grows. What difference does one candle make in a world of darkness? The hope of Advent, however, is not what we can accomplish, but in Christ’s second coming when He will turn out world upside-down kingdom where the poor are blessed, the downtrodden are comforted, and the hungry are filled (Mat. 5). Advent, then, is not the season of preparing for Christ’s birth, as though He had never come in the first place. Advent is the season for preparing for His coming again. We all stand on the threshold of this upside-down kingdom. The future Jesus brings still approaches and is closer than the hour we first believed.
My friends, Christ has come; Christ will come again. In the meantime we live in hope and expectation and light our candles, no light too small to be used by our coming Lord. I encourage us as the church of St. Margaret in-the-Pines to light the candles of hope, peace, joy, and love this Advent by joining with our Outreach Ministry in giving to our church’s Reverse Advent calendar. We have printed out and will send over mail-chimp a suggested Reverse Advent Calendar for people to follow. If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to ask the Outreach Ministry Coordinators, Toni Terbenche, Roselyn Springer, Jackie Tannis or myself as to how you can help. This Advent, may we as a church trust God that even our smallest acts of love and self-giving will be signs of light in this dark world, lights to show the way, until that day that shall dawn upon us from on high, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:78-79).
In Advent hope,
Andrew Kaye+