Belmont University Advent GuideParaugs

The Advent season is not a quiet one. The Christmas songs are inescapable and it seems as if the holiday rush will cater to us all, including the non-religious. The reasons behind the madness are many, but the result is uniform: we are caught in distraction. The list of chores preceding the new year tend to pile up with renewed urgency and the planning of the following year invites itself onto our already full plates. The previous months suddenly seem as if they were well spaced and timely due to the rapid nature of December as well as the tests and presentations that it brings. In the midst of the madness, peacefulness may seem removed and replaced with burdens and obligations that cannot wait. It does not seem accidental that one of the most joyous occasions on the Christian calendar is celebrated during the busiest time of the year. Is the Lord heard from the depths of our busyness? Do we invite Him into our stress and anxiety as Helper and Comforter?

Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the House of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. (Psalm 84.10)

Where do we dwell when we are drowning in the tasks at hand? It is likely that we take on more than we can handle in the final month of the year and the true meaning of Christmas often seems to be reduced to a single “x.” It is easy to allow self-awareness to become increasingly distracting, too, during the Christmas season. Preparation for a new year calls for self-examination in order to evaluate possible changes and resolutions to be made. While this is all well it is crucial to remember that our busyness does not compare to the urgency of Jesus’ birth. It is important to ask if we are preparing ourselves for a celebration as opposed to simply passing through the final season of the year. The birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of multiple prophecies dating back all the way to the book of Genesis. So whether you find a free hour for reading or ten minutes to study the Word daily, devote your time to the Lord with all of your heart and mind. Celebrate the sacrifice.

Graham Gonzales
Senior, Religious Studies and Spanish