We are in Advent, the season of waiting and anticipation. In liturgical churches, a 5 candle wreath is being lit, one candle per week, slowly counting down the days to the Incarnation of God in helpless flesh. Many homes have Advent calendars filled with chocolate treats and surprises, again counting down to the birth of God as human. And this holiday has pagan roots as well: we are counting down to the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and the turning point: the point at which each day becomes longer and longer.
It strikes me that both Christians and Jews are waiting for the coming of God, but there is a very distinct difference. Jews are waiting for the coming of Messiah - the first coming. The Day of the Lord. Christians are waiting for the Second Coming of Messiah. In the New Testament, there is an emphasis on moral living, but not a terribly large emphasis on social justice. But in the Old Testament prophets we see a huge emphasis on social justice.
This is the difference I see in our waiting. Our waiting is not simply waiting for God to come and make things right, or for Christ to return and save us from this evil world. Our waiting is an active process - a ceaseless striving to make this world a place where Christ can come back and reign, not come back and destroy. While we wait to celebrate the first coming of Christ, we need to remember to prepare for the second coming. Our waiting is not sitting in a waiting room - it is laboring in the messy world of brokenness. The prophets didn't just predict Christ, they told us what to do before and after the Incarnation.
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3 comments:
The New Testament isn't as filled with instruction on social justice, but Christ taught it constantly. We need to spend more time studying and obeying the words of Christ.
The Lord's prayer clearly gives God's perspective in the statement, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven".. since we are to pray that way, we are also to act to bring the kingdom of heaven to reality on earth.
This is the power given to us in the resurrection of Jesus... overcoming death with life. If you haven't read "When Heaven Invades Earth" by Bill Johnson you will enjoy the vision from heaven which we can walk in on earth.
This social justice is not a socialism, but the empowering of each individual to become a son with all of heaven's provision for life. As Andrew Wommach says, "you have already got it" in Jesus. Our job is to learn what we have, and how to walk in it. Glory!
Interesting juxtaposition of waiting. However I would submit that the Second coming is not the beginning of Christ's reign. Through Christ's bride, His church, His reign on earth HAS ALREADY BEGUN. We already reign with Him here on earth every time we do act out godly social justice, speak encouraging Holy-spirit inspired words, operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and grow in our relationship with the Father.As "God" says in the movie, Bruce Almighty, " Be the miracle."
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