Who are We Really Waiting For?
Three elegantly dressed ladies stood in line outside an upscale store, and soon a fourth joined the line.
She waited patiently for a while and finally tapped another on the shoulder, whispering, “What are we
waiting for?”
Today marks a turning point in Advent, when we begin to move from reflecting on our need to be
saved, to the coming of the Savior. It’s time to focus on WHOM we are waiting for. This new tone in Advent is marked by the rose-colored vestments, and the liturgy really begins to center on a tender
remembrance of Christ’s birth. The first reading today, from the prophet Zephaniah, makes it clear whom we are waiting for: the “Lord God’ in our midst. And, in the gospel, John the Baptizer tells
us that the one who is coming will baptize us with “the Holy Spirit and with fire.” The images are
powerful, and the call to rejoice is clear.
A favorite Advent hymn calls us to “look East, the time is near for the crowning of the year,” and links
the spirit of this time to “trimming the house and setting the table.” While some people hold back
entirely from the signs of Christmas, lights in the windows, wreaths on the door, the crèche awaiting
the Christ child, all are fitting Advent fixtures. They can remind us that we are waiting for the one who can fulfill us. These are days for making sure that even in the midst of making lists, shopping,
decorating, and cooking, our spirits will find joy in God our Savior.
~by Reverend James A. Field