Image by Darren Hsu (used by Creative Commons permission)

Advent tears open the night like a flash of lightning hope. It sounds an alarm, awaking us from the stupor of struggle and toil. Our world is lulled to sleep by the droning of kings, the marching of boots, and the frenzy of crisis. Not just this age, but every age.

When Hebrew exiles finally returned home after seventy years of captivity, they were like those who dream. Years later, the Temple and the land still sat in rubble as discouragement replaced courage to rebuild the ancient ruins. Emperors rose and fell. Rulers came and went. Everyone sought to carve out his own little kingdom, but all the kingdoms were falling even at the height of glory. Kings and kingdoms continue conquering while also failing and falling from glory.

Advent shakes the soul awake to The King, The Judge, The One and Only Hope for all creation. When he speaks the earth trembles, and everything that can shake will shake. He comes not to kill, steal, and destroy, but to heal the brokenhearted, set the fatherless in families, and welcome the weak and weary into His yoke of love.

In this night of worldly worry, let us lift up our eyes for hope is drawing near. The longing of ages, the Savior of humanity is come, has come, will come. He’s breaking into our lives even now.