Awake. That describes the state I have been in since 3:31 this morning. Maybe this is something we have in common. My guess is that many who are reading this have experienced this feeling – it may have been to study for that final or finish a paper where procrastination had taken over, or with a new little one for the seemingly endless feedings, or because the problems at work or home grow exponentially when the lights are out.
There is another kind of ‘awake’ that comes to mind when we read the words from Matthew – “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” Or the words in Romans – “The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” My earlier examples are best described as physical – awake v. asleep. The biblical verses go deeper. And quite frankly, the biblical verses carry ominous tones and examples – there is talk of thieves breaking into homes, people being left behind, a list of deeds that happen in the darkness.
But even amidst those examples, within the surrounding verses, I can also see glimpses of hope and promise. The very next sentence in the Romans text reads, “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.” I’m not exactly sure how it happens, but there were times when I discovered that the things keeping me awake in the depths of night really didn’t feel quite as overwhelming when daylight started to break through the curtains. Even in the midst of seasons of darkness that feel unending, we can cling to the hope that daylight is near. And, in all of this, the promise still remains – the Son of Man will come again. Sometimes we can get so caught up in the warnings to stay alert, be awake, we miss the promise – he is coming back! For us!
What would it look like if we lived this deeper version of ‘awake’? Beyond the physical – my eyes are open; therefore, I am awake. What if each day we lived expecting THAT DAY to be the day Jesus returned? Stop for a moment and think about that. Is your immediate reaction fear or joy? What if instead of a warning, we take it as an invitation? That when we wake up each morning – our first thought is, “Today could be the day! What will I do to prepare?” I imagine that it’s not the Martha kind of preparation – the busy tasks of prepping a house for visitors, sweeping, cooking, and making sure the bathroom is acceptable for guests. It’s the Mary kind of preparation – listening, reading, and just sitting with Jesus. {sigh} I pray this is the invitation my heart hears when my eyes open tomorrow morning, and I pray you hear the same invitation. Today could be the day! What will I do to prepare?
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This week's Advent Reflection is written by Mrs. Lori Whalen, Assistant to the Bishop.
