Prepare Day by Day
Advent 1
November 27, 2022
Fr. Tim Nunez
Here we are, and can you believe it? Friday is December first, which means we are already almost out of hurricane season! It has been an active year for us. One reality of life here in beautiful Lake Wales, Florida is that we know they are coming. They probably won’t come every year, but they can come any year. They may bring a lot of rain like Donna and Ian, and while they are defined by their wind speeds, some like Charlie are way more intense than others.
And so we watch. We can look at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s cone of probability, which is better now that they’ve added a yellow blob to show how wide the high wind area is. And we see the spaghetti of various tracking projections. Many of you like the European model, not because it’s exotic or you’re interested in the World Cup, but because it tends to be right.
Jesu said, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Some people, and a number of preachers, see the urgency of preparing for Jesus coming again and get focused on the timing. They see the wars, floods, earthquakes and whatnot around the world and think it’s got to be coming very soon. That imparts the urgency Jesus wants us to have, but in the wrong direction.
These theories don’t amount to spaghetti tracks but more like putting points on the calendar. At best, that’s like watching the hurricane track, so that you’re always up to date with the latest predictions on when the storm will hit but not using that information to prepare for the storm until it’s too late.
I imagine that if we were to all learn that Jesus was coming next week, you’d see that guy loading 7-8 cases of bottled water on a shopping cart. And the toilet paper aisle would be totally wiped out; no paper towels either, no napkins.
Jesus said, “Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”
In Jesus’ time they were not watching for hurricanes, of course. But they were well acquainted with flash floods that could come from distant rains you couldn’t see and didn’t know were even happening. Their land is full of dry river beds that look like natural pathways to walk, and they can go on for 10, 20 miles or more. Even today it is not unusual for hikers or others to get swept away. The story of the Great Flood, that torrent happening everywhere all at once to affect everyone, and it coming suddenly would get their attention. Jesus teaches his disciples, and us, that no one knows when the Day of the Lord is coming, but that it will be sudden like that.
Jesus said, “…one will be taken and one will be left.”
In Jesus’ time they also had constant concern about their peace and stability. Any day disorder and rebellion against the occupying Romans could break out in localized or big ways, and when that happened the cost could be severe. Pacification of the area might well involve grabbing people randomly out of the area and shipping them off to be slaves somewhere else. To the early Church this passage wouldn’t make them think about someone being caught up into heaven, but being stolen. The ones left behind to live their lives were the more fortunate, but they were all at risk.
Another way to read these passages about the Day of the Lord is to take it personally. Most of us are able to carry on with life with more or less stability. One day gives way to the next, week to week and year to year without much difference most of the time. But we are also well aware of our constant exposure to what our prayer book calls “the changes and chances of this life.” We don’t have to worry about the Romans, but risk, sin and evil are all around us all the time.
We try not to think about it too often, but we know that on any given day, in any given moment, an accident or illness involving us or those we love can completely overturn our world in profound ways. We all face our own mortality. Like Jesus coming again, it’s not a matter of if, but when, and which ones of us will be taken and which ones of us will be left. We are all at risk.
Jesus said, “Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
The only reasonable response to this certainty of occurrence and complete uncertainty of time is steady preparation. That is the great theme of Advent, which applies to preparing ourselves to celebrate the wonder of Jesus coming at his birth and preparing ourselves to meet him when he comes again. It’s not about putting ourselves on edge, a sort of continuous state of alert. Jesus also teaches us to not be anxious about anything.
This isn’t about “Watch out!” in the sense of “or else.” It is about embracing the true joy of Christ’s presence and his promise. He truly makes all things new. He comes to bless and heal and nurture and repair and to put us to work. He’s the best, the absolute best. He is truly the way, the truth and the life. Our job is to receive and share him.
It’s about building in daily habits to do just that. It’s sort of like keeping your home in good shape lest you panic in terror at a sudden drop-in, or keeping up with the reading so you don’t have to pull the all-nighter before the exam. You’re ready because that is who you are. You walk daily with Jesus so you don’t ever worry about him showing up. He’s already there.
Our entire culture is immersed in this season for a lot of reasons. Retailers want to make sales. Media wants you to tune into their productions. Calendars load up with events and gatherings. We couldn’t avoid it if we wanted to as we have trees, wreaths and garlands, real or artificial, lots of lights, a torrent of advertisements, plus cards and lots of songs pointing to Christmas – often as a commercial and family event.
Each of us have the opportunity and responsibility to put our focus where it belongs, on Christ’s coming at his birth and at his coming again, and to share that special gift with our families and friends to that they, too, will be prepared for his coming in general and to them in particular.
AMEN