Belmont University Advent Guideنموونە

Monday, Nov. 28

Advent is the great season of waiting. We are waiting for Christmas and the remembrance of our Savior coming as an infant. We are also waiting for Jesus’ return. But what are we doing while we are waiting?

We can learn at least some of the things to do while we are waiting by looking at our Advent text Isaiah 1.16d–17:

[C]ease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.

What are we to do while we wait for Jesus during Advent? First, we are to cease doing evil (acting unjustly and even pursuing injustice, crushing the oppressed, leaving the orphan with no hope or defense, and abandoning the widow).

Next, we should learn to do good. What does this mean? What good should we be doing instead? Notice that the description of what is good is not passive. It involves seeking, rescuing, defending, and pleading.

If we are going to seek justice, we have to be aware of the people who are being treated unjustly, and we have to look for ways to bring justice to the situation. This will be different for each of you. It may involve how you act with your friends and family; it may involve how to pursue your career; it may involve how you volunteer in your community.

If we are going to rescue the oppressed, we need to identify who is being oppressed. To rescue someone is a big effort. It may involve going into a world that is not our own, being around people with whom we are not familiar. It might mean recognizing that we might be one of the group of people who are causing the oppression.

And if we are going to defend the orphan and plead for the widow, we need to expand our ideas of family and community. This may include welcoming people in that we have formerly kept on the outside. It will definitely include a wider understanding of both love and reconciliation.

Advent is the great season of waiting. But perhaps if we are learning to do good in all these ways, we do not have to wait for Jesus. Jesus is already among us.

Ann Coble
Lecturer in Religion