Advent is a sacred invitation to wait, watch, and wonder. It is the season when we lean into the tension between what is and what will be. In a world where despair too often takes the spotlight, Advent dares to proclaim that hope is not only possible, hope is promised!
In recent months, we have journeyed, as Community of Christ disciples, deeply through the theme, “Hope is Here.” From testimonies shared across the globe, one truth arose clearly: Hope does not eliminate struggle, it transforms it. Hope is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God amid it. And when we declared “Choose Hope,” we acknowledged that hope is not simply a feeling; hope is a courageous act of faith.
Now, as Advent approaches, we are invited to receive anew “The Promise of Hope.”
This promise is not abstract or sentimental. It is grounded in the birth of Jesus Christ, a child born into an occupied land, under the shadow of empire, to a family with no room in the inn. The world Jesus entered was not calm or bright. It was broken, bruised, and yearning. Yet, into that world, hope was born.
As we explore the scriptures, John 1:5 (NRSVue) reminds us, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.” Advent proclaims, in this context, this radiant truth: God has not abandoned the world. God is with us—Emmanuel. That is the promise that sustains us.
Hope is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God amid it.
As disciples in the twenty-first century, we know the world aches with injustice, violence, poverty, loneliness, and division. We also know that Christ’s mission is reborn daily, alive and unfolding. Every act of compassion, every community of peace, every voice raised for justice becomes a signal community and a signpost of that promised hope.
This is not passive waiting. Advent hope calls us to live differently, to prepare the way for the One who already is among us. In a time that tempts us toward cynicism or apathy, our mission compels us to boldly proclaim that hope is not naïve—it is resilient! With God, it is never too late to begin again, the same way Ezekiel 37 elucidates clearly and powerfully.
Therefore, this Advent, let us remember:
- Hope is here—because Christ is among us.
- Hope is a choice—because we trust in God’s faithfulness.
- Hope is a promise—because the story of Advent tells us that God comes to dwell with us, not just once, but always.
As we light candles in the deepening dark, may we be the people who keep pointing toward the dawn. For the promise of hope is not wishful thinking; it is the bold declaration that love will triumph, peace will come, and Christ will lead us still.
Come, Lord Jesus. Hope is on the way.
