Waking up to HOPE

Today begins the season of Advent. A season in which we pour out gratitude for the grace that is now, and turn our effective attention to the more that is on the way. The word Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning coming; arrival. The Christian tradition of Advent did not begin until the 4th century CE, but the word and idea was put into place during the first century CE. It was a political term attached to the first Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus.

When it was announced that Caesar would be traveling to your city, the people would hold an Advent celebration, anticipating “the coming savior.” Yep, Caesar Augustus was spoken of as “the savior who brought peace to the world.”

A lot of the phrases that the first Christians used to speak of Jesus originated with the Roman Empire, and how they spoke of Caesar Augustus. “Lord.” “Savior of the world.” “Son of god.” “Good news.” And how about “There is no other name under heaven by which one can be saved than that of Augustus.”

All of these titles and phrases were used for Caesar Augustus… nearly three decades before Jesus was even born.

The writings that we know as “The Gospels,” or The Good News According to… Matthew, Mark, Luke and John… are laced with subversive language that cuts through the empirical reign of Rome and Emperor Augustus. It was quite brilliant. Still is. While the reign of Augustus was brought forth by the sword, the reign of Jesus was brought forth by…

Hope. Love. and Joy, which led to a very different kind of Peace. Because Pax Romana (peace of Rome) was baked in threat, fear, and violence. The Peace of Jesus the Christ is baked in Love… Forgiveness… and Healing.

The Peace of Christ is about being put back together. That was the anticipation of those who awaited the Messiah, the One who was born Jesus of Nazareth. A King who inaugurated a very different kind of kingdom. The kingdom of the heavens was brought into reality through the flesh and blood person of Jesus. The Kingdom is already here. Which is why Jesus instructed his students and followers to pray, “Our Father… Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in the heavens.”

We are to live out the kingdom inaugurated by Jesus. A kingdom, then, that continues to unfold in and through our very lives. The Hope that we cling to, is simply a Hope that has already begun, and will continue until the Divine brings it to completion. The kingdom which we have tasted, caught glimpses of, and experienced when Love healed us and held us. And when we participate in healing and holding together all that is broken.

Which takes us to another metaphor and title used of Jesus, which had been in use for hundreds of years prior to his birth… High Priest. Jesus would be referred to as THE High Priest of all high priests. His priestly reign meant the completion of the old system, and the dawning of the forever kingdom. As one of the first Christians, Paul, wrote of what God had done through Jesus:

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins… For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:13-14, 19-20)

So as we sink into the season known as Advent, we live with gratitude for the Love that has already healed us, and with Hope for the Love that is still unfolding. The kingdom is here, and there is much more to come. Yes, we see people participating in the old system of empire by way of threat, fear, and violence. If we are honest, we too are tempted by it, and we teeter into it at times. Fear and threat work… for a brief moment. They do not fulfill or result in a lasting Peace, but they do inflate the immature ego of the moment.

But the Advent of Jesus quenches all that empire cannot. Jesus quenches what threat, fear, and violence can only falsely promise. The empire of ego is left empty and exhausted. So we begin the season baked in a lasting Hope…

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the trust we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not fail. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Welcome to Advent friends. May you walk in, and walk out, the Grace and Peace of Jesus the Christ.