Today ushers in Advent, the month I look forward to most in the year. I’m so excited to savour the season to its fullest despite this pandemic. We have gone through a lot of hardship this year, but Christmas is all about merriment and sharing that joy. Hopefully, the pleasure of the season will alleviate our gloominess and get us ready to begin fresh in the upcoming year. Christmas always has a special place in my heart. My tree will be up before Advent even begins. You have probably seen a lot of posts about Advent. So what is advent exactly?
Let me share my two cents of knowledge about Advent.
Advent marks the period of waiting for the arrival of the King, celebrated through the adornment of the church altar with the royal colour of purple, and the pastor wearing a stole of the same hue.
There are three interpretations of ‘coming’ during the Advent season. The first is the birth of Jesus as a newborn in the world some two thousand years ago. The second is Jesus’ desire to enter people’s lives today. The last is of Jesus’ return to the earth as a sovereign and judge, not a child.
The four weeks of Advent are based on the themes of Hope, Preparation, Joy and Love.
This year’s Advent season feels very different to me. As we all live through the pandemic, I long for the traditional Christmas songs, the hymns at the Sunday service, the young children singing carols, and the beautiful piano music that drifts through the air. Nevertheless, I believe that this pandemic has taught us a valuable lesson: isn’t patience and anticipation the main idea behind Advent?
What did you think of this year’s advent?
To read more scriptural messages CLICK HERE
To read last year’s advent books, CLICK HERE
