Advent

 

Walking to my neighbour’s house, I noticed how the grit spread by the lorry during the icy spell had been bounced, pushed and dragged into three tracks, one either side of the road and one in the middle. Where the rubber hit the road, the asphalt lay clear and, now that the frost has gone, skid-free.

So much grit and dirt falls on us as we walk through our daily lives. We can absorb worldly attitudes and find ourselves skidding off the path Jesus has laid for us, or we can choose to live with alert intentionality, shielding ourselves from distraction and disaster.

In the run-up to Christmas, the glitter and consumer-pressure of the season can lure our focus from the reason for our celebrations. I don’t know about anyone else, though, but this year I long for Jesus’ return more than I have ever done before. These last two years have revealed the abject failure of humanity to steward our planet and care for our sisters and brothers: without His help, we can’t turn things around.

So once again I pray: Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus. He is our hope, our strength, and our peace.