God’s Nearness
It is Christmas Eve. Are you ready? Am I ready?
I’ve always heard Advent described as a “time of preparation”, readying ourselves for the Lord. Typically for me that preparation has been more about looking forward to and preparing for the future. Whether that is through physical tangible means – getting all the gifts in order, or spiritual – creating a sense of excitement and awe celebrating the birth of Jesus. This year, those things are true but somehow there is a slight shift. My preparation has been a bit backward looking. Both in the readings and in my own life. Throughout this season of Advent, we have heard about God’s promises to the prophets and people of the Old Testament such as in the first reading today and King David. These promises are then connected to God’s fulfillment of them in the Gospel readings. It is a pattern throughout the season that isn’t new but this year has caught my attention and drawn me in more. The power of this pattern is deepened by the fact that we know “the ending”. We know that in today’s Gospel Zechariah’s prophesy about his son comes true as his son grows to become John the Baptist.
Recently, just prior to the start of Advent, I attended my first silent retreat I had gone on for number of years. While I would have liked to hear about my future and where my life was going (perhaps as Zechariah prophesied about John), for me, the retreat was filled with prayers and conversations with God about where he has been in my life for the last 3-4 years. We hadn’t really been “talking” for quite some time and I had gone through some hard seasons. And yet throughout this period, deep down I had felt a sense of peace. The retreat weekend helped me see that this peace was coming from God’s nearness. He helped me see that He had been with me the entire time – through the highs and the lows, the sadness and pain and the joy. Breaking down my own walls with God helped me to not only see His nearness but also to feel His closeness. It brought with it comfort, joy, peace, and hope. The details of my future seemed irrelevant when I could relish in His presence with me.
This looking backward both in the readings throughout the season and in my own life has been like a game of “connect the dots” where I slowly make the connections and a bigger, deeper picture and plan is revealed. For me, it is through seeing these connections that peace grows and hope is steady. In Zechariah’s words “In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us… to guide our feet into the way of peace.”. Perhaps for the first time I am truly recognizing and processing that this season isn’t just about the coming of Jesus once, but God’s presence, faithfulness, promises, and nearness all along. Perhaps I’m finally ready to celebrate and relish this continuous gift.
In what ways has God kept his faithfulness to you? Are you able to sense God’s nearness? Could you ask God to show you how he has been with you?
Joan Ervin