I really like how one of our priests, Mtr Kelly, jokingly said this today "In the Christian calendar, this is our New Year. Now prepare for the end of the world." She was highlighting that a lot of the readings through Advent have to do with 'end times', 'Second Coming' and 'The Final Judgment'.
It's a season of looking at prophesy. There are more than 50 prophecies that Christians interpret as being about the Jesus. The prophecies are really poignant, beautiful and difficult at times. The Messiah saves us from our sins by healing us of hardened hearts and not counting our sickness against us. You can find them by a simple Google search. There are also many prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled.
All prophecy is bit difficult to be certain as to how it 'will be' played out. Regarding the end, in today's Gospel, Jesus is quoted as saying "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." Jesus in his humanity has limited knowledge as he chooses dependence upon the Father. This makes certainty about these 'end times' look a bit arrogant. Be wary.
There have always been signs and we are called to be alert to when the Master will return. This is more of a call to *actually* LIVE what we believe now! To live as if it is true. Not that one day it will be, but have faith that the Gospel 'IS and WILL BE'. The end is tricky, I have often said the 'end of the world' for me, ideally, will be sometime in the latter of the next 40-50 years. The Master will return for my breath and my body will die. So, I am all for paying attention to the news and 'signs of the times'. But I am very leery of my ability to know for sure when and where and what. I trust in the God who is love.
Something occurred to me about the prophecies from the Old Testament about the Messiah. There isn't one, to my knowledge, about saving people from hell. There are indeed some about saving us from our sins. But none on hell. Christian faith has always said Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and Savior of the world. Yet the prophesies that help 'prove' Jesus' messiah-ship have nothing to do with hell. This seems important. Its a sad reality that fear has long been a chosen motivator over love.
I fully see that the Messiah is difficult mystery as the second person of the Holy Trinity, fully God and fully Human. Prior to Jesus any understanding of a Triune God would be so odd. That oddness is where C.S. Lewis says something to the effect that if the faith were to be 'made up', then it would be much more simple.
I think Jesus himself helped confuse us about hell. I know Jesus definitely had things to say about hell that are quite frightening. I do not think it is our call to just throw those Scriptures out but rather wrestle with them. They seem to point more to the rigorous call of discipleship rather than a condemnation for not following the rules. We always need look to Jesus' ultimate actions on the cross, forgiving his torturers and murderers, to see how exacting the Lord truly will be.
This is the First week of Advent. We join with the ancient Hebrews looking to restoration of all things. We reflect on the utter humanity that God took shape within a womb. We reflect on the initial Visitation and look forward to the Second Coming. In the space in between we get to participate in the work of the Kingdom now.
In Advent, we wait. We wait and work with God towards what we heard in the Old Testament reading from prophet Isaiah today "He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. "
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