If you are familiar with your church calendar you know that we are coming to the close of the Advent season. Whether or not you are familiar with the season I think it is worth remembering that Advent is (or should be) a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus. ‘Advent’ means ‘coming’ and is the anglicized version of the Latin ‘adventus’ which is in itself the translation of the Greek ‘parousia,’ which refers to the Second Coming of Christ. Yet, I suspect that if you are like me your mind is already thinking about Christmas, presents, and family gathered together around the table, followed in short order by the New Year’s celebrations, football games, and other revelry.

Yet, despite the good news of Christmas, I confess that the worldly news has broken my heart. In just the last few days I have read of an attack in Afghanistan that killed 148 people — mostly children, and of an automobile accident that devastated a precious family devastated on their “trip of a lifetime” to Disney World. Then I saw where another deranged individual went on a shooting rampage, and another takes hostages in a coffee shop. And, as if all that wasn’t enough, my eyes saw but my mind could not comprehend the story of a 10-year-old boy beating and killing a 90-year-old woman. In desperation my heart cried out, “Come, Lord Jesus, and save us from ourselves.”

The timid knock on the church door brought me back to reality and I found myself looking into the eyes of an elderly woman who softly said she had heard we had a food pantry. With eyes downcast she said that they didn’t have any money for food and asked if we could possibly help them out. As she carefully selected items to place in a box she turned to look at me and said, “that’s not too much, is it?” My heart was broken again as Jesus answered my cry for his attention by reminding me that we are here on earth, right now, and there is work to be done!

So, while I know with certainty that one is coming to lead us out of here, I also know that the hope of Christmas requires each of us to do our part today. We may not be able to make sense of the news, but we can take hope in the coming arrival of Jesus and the assurance that he will come again to save us and deliver us from all evil. It is that hope that gives us the strength to work daily for Christ even when the news makes us want to crawl in a closet and hide. So, how is it with you right now? Do you know that kind of hope? Do you have room in your heart for faith in Christ? And, more than that, do you have room in your heart to love and serve his children?