The other day I was driving down the road and on the radio a person said, “This is the Covid year.”  How many times have you already altered plans?  Many years from now when I reflect on my life and try to make sense of it all—there will be this bizarre section—and it will simply be called, “Covid.” 

Remember that year we didn’t take the family vacation—Covid. 

Remember that Lent and Easter season where no one went to church—Covid.  Remember the year that the family didn’t get together for the holidays—yes, Covid. 

No doubt, when it is time for me to retire and permanently hang up the preaching robe- I will look back on this time as a unique ministry experience.  I can read the sermons and see how I worked in the pandemic or how in each newsletter article I dropped in something about the times in which we now live. 

We don’t know right now what the marks of the pandemic will be for the church.  But there are so many hopeful signs.   And we are coming upon the season of Hope…

Advent is upon us.  It is no surprise that Advent is the darkest time of our year.  Advent leads us to Christmas Eve, when we experience the deepest darkness.  And on Christmas there is a light in the darkness.  Hope is born, again.

There have been signs of hope throughout the pandemic.  It is hard to wrote those words as our country is reeling from the inglorious loss of 250,000 lives (in our country alone).   We may be reeling from the results of an election.  We may be fatigued and desperate to get things back in order.

I used to say “I can’t imagine living under a Caesar or a King Herod.”  I feel somewhat different now.  I can’t help but think of the first century Jews waiting ever so expectantly for a Messiah.  With each passing day, week and month—“When will this Messiah come?  When will this time of oppression be over?” 

A new president or a vaccine is not our Messiah.  Neither is responsible for saving our souls, country or church. While it may offer hope in the darkness—our light and our salvation is with Jesus the Christ. 

As we move through the weeks of Advent: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy may we be inspired with the Light that waits for each of us.  May we share hope, peace, love and joy with our family, neighbors, friends and followers.  Let our song, be the song of the angels.  Let our words, be the words of the shepherds.  Let our praise be the praise of the Magi.  But before all of that….

Let us heed the words of the Advent prophet, John the Baptist- “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”  Change your ways. Get right with God. The Kingdom of God is so near that you could reach out and touch it.  John wasn’t talking about a heavenly pearly gated community—he was talking about a kingdom of justice and mercy! 

Perhaps this Advent season will be remembered as the Advent with Covid, but I hope it will be remembered as the Advent of the Kingdom of God, the advent of a new age when people placed their faith and trust in the Light in the darkness.