Dec 2024
Advent Hope
“By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us,
To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way to peace.
-Luke 1:78-79
Oscar Cullman, a Swiss-German theologian who lived during the Second World War, had a wonderful analogy for describing how Christians who live in the world today live between the “already” and the “not yet.” He pointed out that in every war there is a decisive battle that determines the outcome of the war. After this battle, there is no question as to what the future holds. The battle establishes defeat or victory. Gettysburg was such a battle in the Civil War. Waterloo was such a battle. And in World War II it was the battle on the beaches of Normandy.
After Normandy, there was never any question as to what the outcome of the war would be. Once the Allies had established a beachhead allowing troops and arms to pour into the continent, the fate of the Nazi armies was sealed. Nevertheless, it should be noted that more Americans died following the victory than died in battle prior to it. That victory, which was so decisive, did not immediately end dying among the Allied forces or suffering among the European people. The decisive battle had been fought and won on D-Day. But it wasn’t until V-Day—which was a long way off – that the end of the suffering and death would come.
This is exactly the situation of the Christian today when it comes to understanding Jesus’ Second Coming. The decisive battle was won when Jesus came to earth as a human being and went to the cross to suffer on our behalf. Jesus’ victory on the cross wiped away all doubts about how history would end. At the same time, the Kingdom Jesus came to establish is yet to come in all its fullness. That’s why we wait with eager expectation for the Lord to return and complete the work he began at his first coming. Hence, as people who await God’s inevitable victory over the forces of evil and oppression, Christians are people who live between the “already” and the “not yet!”
I came across a story recently which helped me put this idea of living in between the times of Christ’s first coming and his Second coming in perspective. It is difficult to believe but only a few generations back, human slavery was an accepted practice in our land and ending that practice was a long and difficult battle. There was one particular period when an especially dark cloud hung over the entire abolition movement.
One of the leaders of that movement was Frederick Douglas. He was speaking to a great crowd during this time when it seemed that the abolitionist cause was going to fail. Both political parties were turning their back on the movement. The Supreme Court had failed them as well. As Douglas spoke with despairing words about the future of the movement to end slavery, darkness seemed to settle down upon the audience.
Just at the instant when the cloud was most heavy over those in attendance, there slowly rose, in the front seat, an old black woman. Her name was “Sojourner Truth.” Every eye was on her. Frederick Douglas paused for a moment. Sojourner Truth reached towards him with a long boney finger, and cried out, “Frederick, is God dead?”
One historian has written that her words were “a lightening flash” upon the audience. Sojourner Truth helped the audience believe that there was hope with that one question, “Is God dead?”
In her book Cultivating Awareness in the Season of Advent, Pamela Hawkins shares these words about what it means to live between the “already” and the “not yet” of Christ’s coming to our broken and dispirited world: “In many ways, Advent is a ‘not yet’ season. Mary and Joseph have not yet traveled to Bethlehem, the infant Jesus has not yet been born, the angels have not yet appeared to the shepherds, and the star has not yet come to rest over the manger. Still, with all these ‘not yets’ embedded in the Advent story, we spend these days and weeks living in faith that God will provide what has been promised–a long awaited Messiah, a living hope…
“Consider this concept of ‘not yet’ and carry it in imagination to the city, town, or village in which you live. Where is there ‘not yet’ enough for some children to eat, a place for the homeless to live, some afternoon company for a lonely person to receive? Where is there ‘not yet’ needed leadership in your faith community? How might your faith lead you to bring hope to one ‘not yet’ circumstance so that you share in God’s restoring Advent love?”
The Savior has come. The Savior is coming again. What we do in the in between space speaks volumes about where our hope is centered. Is God dead? I don’t think so! God is alive and at work in our world and one day those who have been hurting will be healed, those who have been mourning will breakout in laughter, and the dawn from on high will break in upon us.
In Eager Expectation of Christ’s Return,
Pastor Greg Kintzi
