Something Special Is Coming

Second Week of Advent; Luke 3:1-6

He is two and a half years old. And he defines the word precocious. In his mind, his vocabulary is fully developed. Most of the time, however, to those of us listening to him, we are still in need of a translator. His favorite activity right now is to take a walk down his street to look at the Christmas lights on the houses. His face positively beams with glee and excitement, and regardless of the temperature, all he wants is to see “More!”

And, as most children are want to do, he’d really like to go up and get really close and touch the lights. He gets very frustrated with his parents when they say, “No” or “Look, but don’t touch.” Fortunately, his parents know how to divert his attention by showing him that there is another house only a few doors down with more lights to look at. The attention span of a toddler works in their favor. It’s cliché to say, but it’s true: This is a magical time of year for little children. They don’t fully understand what it’s all about, but they know something special is coming.

In today’s readings, we listen as God tells us something special is coming. We are to “stand on the heights”, that we “may learn to value the things that really matter”, and, with John the Baptizer, “Make ready the way of Our God.”

Indeed, there is something special coming. In fact, it’s here. I think we miss a big part of the idea of Advent, and Christmas, if we focus exclusively on Jesus. John the Baptizer pointed towards the coming of Jesus, and Jesus showed us the way to an entirely new way of thinking and living. Jesus never focused on himself. He always pointed towards God and the power of love. That was, and is, the something special that is coming. And it’s already here and always has been here.

Maybe its just me, but I think humankind has done a pretty crappy job of living up to what Jesus taught, and what God wants of us. The violence, hunger, poverty, racism, homophobia, misogyny and all the other ills of our society are the very opposite of what Jesus taught. When I am guilty of committing one of those sins, then I have forgotten what kind of person God has called me to be.

I suppose that the reason I like Christmas lights is that they remind me of the power of light. Those Christmas lights shine all the way down the street. Cars line up to parade through neighborhoods with brightly lit homes. When I see those bright lights, I’m reminded that my light can shine too, lighting the way for others to recall the “reason for the season.”

What if, I became a “Christmas Light?” A light that attracted people, from toddlers to millennials, to mature adults. What if I attracted people of all religious traditions, all ethnic groups, all walks of life? What if, because of my light, everyone wanted “More.”

Something special is coming. And it’s not just a baby in a manger. It’s the light of love. Look at the lights shining brightly. There are so many colors; red, blue, green, white, and violet. The power of light, the power of love, breaking through the limitations of the night tells me I can change and be more like Jesus. I need to shine.

Every Day.

© 2024 by Timothy J. Doppel

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