Today we have several images for our Advent journey. The Prophet Isaiah uses the image of a sprout which springs from a stump offering hope for new life. John the Baptist preaches that the Kingdom of heaven is at hand and this is a time for repentance. St. Paul speaks to us of the God of encouragement and hope, a hope that is rooted in his Son, Jesus Christ.
After 30 years in forestry, I know that trees cut above ground often regrow new shoots from their living roots below. Isaiah’s prophecy reveals that the same God active since creation remains present today, continuing to work in the world through our faith in Jesus Christ. God, if you will, is the ‘tap root’ running throughout all of history.
When John the Baptist proclaimed the Kingdom of God to be at hand, it was precisely in the person of Jesus the Kingdom had arrived. John also knew that to embrace this new Kingdom a conversion would be necessary. For everyone! For now, simply keep in mind that the Kingdom of God is the very presence – the very person of Jesus!
When we reflect upon John the Baptist’s preaching it is strong, even severe. This tells us about what John’s expectation was about the coming Kingdom, that it would be of severe judgement. Is it any wonder that after Jesus began his ministry of healing, compassion and forgiveness that John sent his disciples to Jesus asking: “Are you the one who is to come or should we look for another”? Even John went through a bit of a conversion to accept not so much the person of Jesus, but what the Kingdom of God would actually look like in its fullness.
Then there are the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to John, whom he called a brood of vipers. While Isaiah spoke of sprouts from stumps, John speaks of laying the axe to the root of trees such as the Pharisees that bear bad fruit. But even the Pharisees and Saducees would eventually reject Jesus because he did not meet their own expectations of what the coming Messiah should be and accomplish. To them Jesus would later say: “the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.” (Matthew 21:43)
Advent is about recognizing the presence of Jesus in our midst – the Kingdom of God which has already come. But it is also about conversion and allowing this Kingdom to come to birth within us as a sprout springing from a stump. Advent is about being grafted to the tree of life who is Christ.
Advent is about anticipating this new life in an active manner which leads to a deeper participation in the love of Christ.
Bear with me as I transition just a bit to a new image to further make this point – Advent as active anticipation.
How many of you remember the 1971 hit song by Carly Simon, Anticipation? Did you know she wrote that song while waiting for a first date with Cat Stevens? This image of waiting for a date helps us with our Advent preparation.
Dating certainly brings to light the reality of love, or at least interest if not infatuation! Recall some of your own moments of preparing for – of anticipating a date! Where were your thoughts if not on the one whom you awaited? And how did that anticipation guide your action prior to the date? Were we not busy preparing ourselves hoping to make a good impression? We wanted to present our best self. Our hearts were beating fast filled with hopes for what that date might bring – filled with questions about the future – possibly with that person. All of our activity was aimed at that moment – to please or at least make a good impression. And were we not equally curious about the other’s feelings?
This is the attitude that is to guide our hearts and activity during Advent. The date we anticipate is with our Lord, Jesus. The One whom we love is the One who loves us most and the One who approaches us always with this love. Our love for Jesus is what should be at the heart of every day-to-day activity. Where it is not is where we are in need of conversion.
This love of God, this presence of Jesus is always the Priority, whether we live according to that priority or not. God through Jesus is the One who always takes the initiative, the One who is always seeking to bring forth in us new life – life that bears the great fruit of his love. Advent is a time to grow in this love; to grow in relationship with Christ who always draws near to bring forth unexpected new realties.
The Kingdom of God is in our midst because Jesus is always present. Jesus as he was physically present in the time of John the Baptist is even more present now through his resurrection and the power and presence of his Holy Spirit. As Jesus lived in this world proclaiming the Good news working signs and miracles among God’s people the Kingdom of God was not some future reality but was rather present through Jesus’ presence.
This Kingdom of God is experienced in our world today – in our present reality – in moments we bring Christ’s truth and love into our relationships making it a lived reality.
Advent is the time to recognize the presence of God’s Kingdom – to recognize the presence of Christ in our midst – and yes, to be surprised that this exceeds and perhaps even eludes our expectations. But it is that reality that still quickens our hearts as for a first date.
The Kingdom of God is in our midst. Let us give it a welcome embrace.
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