Struggling with advent

I once heard it said that if London drivers actually waited to move off until all traffic lights turned from amber to green, the whole city would grind to a halt within minutes. Whether or not that is true, it is certainly the case that we do not like to wait. In an age where instant is king, pause is the fool.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. If you can’t wait for a whole nine months, our express delivery service is available for an extra premium”.

Mary, however, could not afford the premium. When a decree went out that everyone should travel to the place of their birth to register for the census, people tutted and sighed as Joseph and his heavily pregnant wife went by. “If only you had registered online”, they said, “you could do this all at the click of a button”. Joseph and Mary, though, plodded on. By the time they got to the town, every room had been pre-booked by others who could not wait to arrive in order to find lodgings. A stable had to do; and that is where the son of God was delivered, at just the right time.

Meanwhile, out on the hills, there were shepherds watching over their flocks by night. An angel appeared to them and said  “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. If you wish to get there with minimal risk to your abandoned flocks, high-speed angelic transportation is available for one customer only”  The shepherds, however, wished to travel together – and so they made their way on foot down the hills and into the town to see the baby. He was still there when they arrived, and nobody missed out.

Whilst all this was going on, Wise Men from the East were making their way on shifting sands across the desert towards the place where the child lay. Their camels were slow, though, and the star seemed to inch across the heavens. By the time they got there the crowds had subsided, rooms were free, and the child was in a house, rather than the stable. As they knelt with their curious gifts, no-one seemed to feel that they were late – for the timing seemed just right.

In an ‘instant-on’ culture, the notion of advent as a season of intentional waiting seems more counter-cultural then ever. Wanting Christmas perfection, and wanting it now, is an ailment – and a little advent waiting may be just the balm it needs.

Three Sundays to go…