The season of Advent is such a magical time for me. All of the weekly themes are wonderful, but the theme of hope is what truly invigorates me. During Advent, we celebrate the coming of the Lord with great expectation in our hearts. We hope together for this coming of Christ, God donning flesh to dwell among us and show us the Way of salvation and the very heart of God. Embedded in expectation is the hope that Christ is coming, and with this coming is the setting of all things to right.
One of the books I’m reading right now is called The Way of Discernment by Elizabeth Liebert. She uses the term “horizon of expectation” in her section on memory, how important memory is in helping us see clearly and hope. The first time I read it I was stopped in my tracks and had to reread it several times. She says, “memories create a ‘horizon of expectation’ in which we live into the future.”
But what does that have to do with Advent?
Like the Israelites being reminded throughout the Hebrew scriptures to remember the faithfulness of God, we Christians are reminded throughout both testaments to remember. And the season of Advent is one of those poignant times of the year where we remember God took on flesh to dwell among us. God came as a fragile newborn. God worked through a young, poor Palestinian girl. God broke into the tangible universe in order to “bring down the powerful from their thrones and lift up the lowly; fill the hungry with good things and send the rich away empty.” (Luke 1:52-53) God has done all this for us, and still it goes on. God has been with you all along too. Remember.
As we enter into Advent, I hope that you are able to remember with us corporately and as an individual. And as you remember, may your “horizon of expectation” grow. May you be filled with hope for what God has done, is doing, and will do. And may you live into that future here in this infinite present moment.