“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the rulers of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

-Micah 5:2-5

Our four week-long journey through Advent is almost at a close, and the long-anticipated Light is almost with us. It sure doesn’t feel that way in our modern world, though, does it? Thanksgiving is a distinctly American holiday, and as we don’t celebrate it in Japan, the commercial “Christmas” season begins on November 1, just as the Halloween merchandise is packed away. “Christmas” songs are played in every shopping center, café, and train station, complete with “Christmas” trees and “Christmas” decorations.

Why did I put quotes around every mention of Christmas? Well, for us, Christmas does not begin until sundown on December 24. We are still in the season of Advent, a time of quiet longing and anticipation as we once again await the birth of the Logos, the Word made flesh. But to the secular world, “Christmas” is just a time of hearing Mariah Carey’s famous holiday tune, shopping like crazy, and enjoying the spectacle of the decorations. Come December 26, the world is done, and ready for the next commercial push. But we are called to be different from this secular cash-grab.

We are called to step back from all that is around us today and put ourselves in the shoes of the Jewish people who waited millennia for the promised Messiah. We pause and orient ourselves with a contemplative longing for the Prince of Peace. Everyone is familiar with longing and desire, and calling on those emotions throughout Advent is key to experiencing this liturgical season as it was meant to be.

Are you anxiously awaiting our Christmas Eve services? Is it because it’s the goalpost and we’ll finally be through this Christmas madness then? Or is it because you are longing for the Christ Child who was, and is, and forever will be? What steps can you take in these final few days before His arrival to prepare your hearts to experience the birth of He who cannot be overcome by the darkness of times past and present?

Prayer for Today

God of Promises, help us to center our minds on the anticipation of the coming of our Savior. Calm our busyness, quiet our hearts, and instill in us a sense of hope and excitement for the birth that is fast approaching. And as we welcome this tiny child into our lives and hearts once again, transform us with your Light to finally become the people you want us to be. Break our habits and prejudices and foster our kindness and humility as we come to worship the great Amen. Amen.