Through the centuries there have been many well-meaning people who have been tripped up by the so-called Apocalyptic writings in the scriptures. We look at these scriptures each year during Advent, not because we are obsessed as some are by the Second Coming of Christ, but because it is critical that we understand that history has meaning. There is a direction and a destiny to life. Christ’s coming at Christmas is but a foretaste of that climactic time when he will reign in every heart.

Today’s scripture readings are about what is coming down the road towards us, they are about the promise God has made to us.

What does it mean to us when Jesus says that there is a day coming when the Son of Man will come to us in a cloud with power and great glory? What does this mean now in the midst of a busy life? What does this promise about the future mean when we are caught up in trying to do all we can do right here and now in the present? What does it mean when we are struggling to live one day at a time? What does it mean when we watch the news and discover that senseless horrors continue throughout the world; that crime and starvation and terrorism and war and earthquakes and floods abound and indeed seem to be increasing?

To me they mean that I should look up, be prepared and pray. It is so easy to get tunnel vision about the good things as well as the bad things. We can get tunnel vision preparing for Christmas 2024 that we neglect to care for our souls in such a way that we are prepared for Christ’s return. It is so easy to get tunnel vision about all that is wrong in the world and in our lives that we can’t find any hope or joy in this season.

But the hope and joy of this season isn’t only about the birth of a child, a Messiah, 2000 years ago. The hope and joy of this season is about the promise of God that the future is not going to be like the present. It is that those things that are wrong in this world, those things that are evil in the world – will perish away, and a new heaven and a new earth will come upon us – a heaven and earth of everlasting hope, peace, justice, joy and love.