The Coming of the Kingdom
To All,
Sunday begins the season of Advent in the Church calendar. It is a time of preparation for the celebration of the holy day of Christmas. It is also a time when we are mindful of our hope and belief that Jesus will come again, and the kingdom of God will be fulfilled. And so our readings are taken from the Scriptures that speak of these two themes of the season.
The first Sunday of Advent usually deals with the theme of Jesus coming again. In our first reading (Isaiah 2:1-5), the prophet speaks of the coming of the Messiah and the vision of all peoples coming to “the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways and we may walk in his paths.” Then the prophet speaks of what will happen in this kingdom: “He shall judge between the nations and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.”
I find myself yearning for the time when we will beat our “swords into plowshares” and our “spears into pruning hooks.” In other words, a time when we convert the tools of violence into tools that nurture growth. Don’t we yearn for justice and peace? Don’t we yearn for belonging and community? And yet, we still train for war. We still use violence too often as a first resort. We are still tempted to use words as weapons instead of instruments of support and healing.
In our second reading (Romans 13:11-14), St. Paul writes:
“Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep…the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day…put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.”
What holds us back from throwing “off the works of darkness?” Is it because we don’t want God’s “terms” imposed on us? Are we afraid to actually trust God? Or is it because we believe that we can only find a sense of belonging by making sure others don’t belong? The problem with that last one is that the longer we try to maintain an “us versus them” situation, we become more and more suspicious of some of “us” as being part of “them,” and more violence ensues.
Are we willing to throw off the works of darkness? Can we let go of hate and fear? Can we follow our yearning for the coming of the kingdom, for which we ask every time we say the “Our Father?”
There is a popular saying that I see on social media from time to time: “Be the change you want.” We can also say: “Live the hope you have in Jesus,” or, in the words of Isaiah: “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!”
During this Advent season, may we not be swayed by hate or fear or the “desires of the flesh.” May we hold onto hope and not give in to apathy or despair. Instead, may we strive for justice and peace, as we await the coming of Jesus and the fulfillment of the kingdom.
Come, Lord Jesus!
I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for your time.
In Christ Who Is to Come.
Phil, CP
