Advent helps us to keep going

‘Wake up to Advent!’ was the title of a book given to me by a friend a few weeks’ ago. Somehow, my faith journey hadn’t included teaching about Advent and all I knew was that there are calendars with little windows that open and reveal interesting things you can take out. (One of my friends will have one with different kinds of chocolates, which seems to be a very good idea, and another will have one with Scripture verses.) Then I was asked to record a short prayer for Advent for Premier radio and when, one morning, the headline of an article in the Times leapt out saying, ‘Advent challenges our temptation to give up,’ I felt God was telling me it was time to learn more.

Advent has probably been observed since the fourth century. Originally, it was a time when converts to Christianity readied themselves for baptism. During the Middle Ages, Advent became associated with preparation for Christ’s Second Coming. In early days Advent lasted from November 11, the feast of St. Martin, until Christmas Day. Advent was considered a pre-Christmas season of Lent when Christians devoted themselves to prayer and fasting. The Orthodox Eastern Church observes a similar Lenten season, from November 15 until Christmas, rather than Advent.

In his book ‘Wake Up to Advent’, the Right Revd John Sentamu, former Archbishop of York, and former Primate of England and Metropolitan says that we face in two directions at this time of year. We look back, reflecting and rejoicing in the story of Christ’s first coming to earth to be Emmanuel, God with us. ‘And we look forward, with hope and godly fear, to His glorious return: the Second Coming of Our Lord. Advent is a season given to us so that we can realign our compass to directions on the right path. This is our New Year of the Church, when we ponder and renew our commitment, and our understanding of Christ’s gracious invitation to us.’ The book contains Scripture verses, thoughts and prayers for each day of Advent.

For Libby Purves, the author of the Times’ article, Advent is all about hope. ‘Advent rituals are a defiant witness that even in the worst of conflicts, cruelties and hardship, good people have always believed in a better future, and have been willing to work for it and to hope.’ Looking at Ukraine right now, to fight for it, too. ‘Beset around with dismal stories we counter gloom for a while with advent lights, tunes, hope,' she writes.

By the 4^th column she is confident that infuriated atheist readers will have moved on to another page in disgust, so she offers the marvellous images she has already evoked for general use, not just the 46.2 percent who wrote ‘Christian’ on the census form. Those images include sacred songs, including ‘O come, O come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel’, and ‘Veni Emmanuel’, taken from the Old Testament story of captive Judaism. She was argumentative even at convent school (no surprise there) and remembers asking why, after Christendom had abused real Jews for centuries, we dared sing as if we were the Israelites?

‘The answer is that the biblical sense of continuum is universal and irresistible: a plodding, determined journey towards something better, an acceptance that the present world is in need of improvement. Pope John Paul II used to say, ‘”We are an Easter people’”, but perhaps better to be perennially Advent people, and fling open each door in the calendar with a robust pilgrim spirit.’

Advent is for taking a deep dive into our faith, worshipping its Author and Perfector, and wallowing in the Hope He has given us (Romans 5:5).