Isaiah 64:1-9
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37
Hope. Joy.
Peace. Love. The four weeks of Advent. Each a reminder of the life desired of and
expected for each of us. In the back of my mind I have wondered why the themes
were in their particular order. This past year cancelled any argument I might
make for any other order.
2014 has been the year of doubt.
Hard doubt. The kind of doubt that either eliminates faith or refines it to its
purest form. The questions began forming during Lent and reached a crescendo
Easter Sunday. My rage from reading Scripture AND the news made it almost
impossible to type my thoughts; something didn’t add up. Either the Church was seeing
something in Scripture I could not find or the Bible was a fantasy that not
even churches built on it could maintain.
My thoughts centered on two main
questions: 1) Was Jesus real and was He the biological Son of God through the
immaculate conception, and 2) even if Jesus was not real on either count, does
it matter? The remainder of the year focused on coming to answers. My answers, at the moment, are 1)
yes/probably not, and 2) no. I will explain more as I come closer to my final
thoughts. 2014 is not over. I took a break from regular posting
while I wrestled with the questions. Writing and meditation did not stop – only
the posting of it.
As Advent approached I was drawn
back because it has been my favorite season since I understood the liturgical
calendar. My eagerness does not come from its ending at Christmas but in spite
of it. The season calls us to examine our faith in light of the four traits. It
calls us to live the fulfilled lives God wants for us.
So why do I agree that hope comes
first? Hebrews 11:1, my mantra, says, “Faith is the substance (manifestation)
of things HOPED for; the evidence of that which we have not seen. All year,
despite the persistence of doubt, I hoped Jesus was real. I hoped Jesus was the
Son of God. I hoped that fact mattered. It is hope that gets us to the place
where we can examine the others. Even when God seems far away – hope maintains
a link.
Happy Advent!
