Advent: Stop, Look, & Listen - Monday, December 2
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
John 1:29
Railroad crossings used to be marked with an "X." Across the crossbars were written three words: Stop, Look, and Listen. Perhaps, the sign makers thought this warning would help travelers to more safely navigate the highways and avoid the dangers of oncoming freight trains.
Advent is a season that can function like those old train crossing signs. We are invited to stop, look, and listen.
In a world filled with busyness and confusion, we are invited to stop. Advent can be a time to slow down. While Lent is seen as a season of self-denial, Advent also can serve as an opportunity to omit some of our busyness and focus on what is truly important. Consider declining invitations to gatherings that don’t strengthen your preparation for Christmas. Perhaps this is the year to shorten your Christmas card list or to give homemade gifts.
Advent invites us to look. In the midst of Christmas tree lights and crowded shopping malls, God asks us to look and give thanks to God for his interruption in our world. The first Advent of Christ is the reason for celebrating Christmas. The second coming of Christ is what we, as believers, look forward to with great hope. Until he comes again, we see that God continues to come to us through the power of his Spirit in Word and Sacrament to strengthen our faith.
Finally, we can listen. God is speaking to us in the pages of Holy Scripture. His heartfelt desire is that we would know Him as Savior and grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. Advent can become a time of increased devotion as we reflect again on the Biblical story of God’s love.
John the Baptizer invited his disciples to behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Advent is our invitation to behold. To stop, look, and listen to the story again. Reflect on the grace of God in the cradle and cross of Christ. Let us pause and see with new eyes and hear with new awareness the love of God for you and me.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we thank and praise you for this season of preparation! As our world is filled with even more confusion and busyness, help us to focus on what is truly important. Empower us to stop, look, and listen and remember with joy the gift of Jesus in our lives. Amen.