Advent: The reminder to quit being such suckers!

ISIS.

Refugees and other assorted immigration issues.

Donald Trump.

Racial tensions (especially in my city right now).

Abortion clinic shooting in Colorado Springs.

We clearly have things on our radar… Scratch that. There are things that should probably be on our radar.

It’s our reactions that are too often shameful or puzzling or based on fear that should give us pause. We don’t pause. We just react.

This is why we need Advent.

As believers, we need a buffer zone reminder. As believers, Advent reminds us we are not really of this world. (Of course, this bothers political conservatives a bit because that means WE are the “foreigners”, but again, we need these reminders.)

Events like Advent should be on our calendars and in our daily practices because they remind us that we truly serve a Kingdom not of this world. When we pause and reflect on the more powerful Kingdom of God, we have an opportunity to reflect on the nature of our King and it is quite possible we can then formulate some response that aren’t as shrill as we see in our culture today.

We need Advent. We need the reminder that we’re on a different calendar from the world.

HERE is the one I encourage our church to follow so every day we can be immersed in the Kingdom perspective rather than just waiting for our favorite columnist, blogger, radio personality, etc., to tell us how to react. (Unless, of course, that blogger is me. Then you should pay attention.)

Today’s reading is so needed! Here is an excerpt:

⁵ You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶ So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. (1 Thess. 5:5-6)

A simple reminder for us: Hey! You know better!

Dear friends, we have a call to walk differently. In this season, let us take that call seriously.