Advent – The Improbable Story of Hope

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:1-4, NLT

Oh, the sights and sounds of Christmas: honking horns, crowded stores, blinking lights, and Chick-fil-A peppermint milkshakes! You will never know what you may encounter in this festive season. I’m not sure if Pastor Greg Laurie’s story in his book, A Time to Worship happened at Christmas but I could see it happening at that time

“I read a story of a woman who had finished her shopping and returned to her car to find four men inside it. She dropped her shopping bags, drew a handgun from her purse, and with a forceful voice said, ‘I have a gun, and I know how to use it! Get out of the car!’ those men did not wait for a second invitation. They got out and ran like crazy! The woman, understandably shaken, quickly loaded her shopping bags and got into the car. She just wanted to get out of there as fast as she could. But no matter how she tried, she could not get her key into the ignition. Then it hit her: This isn’t my car! She looked, and indeed her car was parked four or five spaces away. She got out, looked around to see if the men were near, loaded the bags into her own car, and drove to the police station to turn herself in. The desk sergeant, after hearing her story, nearly fell out of his chair laughing. He pointed to the other end of the counter, where four men were reporting a carjacking by a woman with glasses and curly white hair, less than five feet tall, and carrying a large handgun. No charges were filed.”

Improbability – “the condition of being improbable. Something improbable.” (American Heritage Dictionary) In so many ways this word could define Advent as we approach the birth of Jesus. Advent may look different in the various Christian traditions but each carries the anticipation of the coming Messiah. So why improbable?

Let’s go back to the beginning, the beginning as in Adam and Eve. They had a nice life in the Garden, but even more, they walked with God daily. Then one day life changed when they decided maybe there was something better instead of just being gardeners. Somehow, they forgot how God had blessed them, and neglected His promise to them, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food. And it was so.” (Gen 1:29-30) They wanted more, they wanted life without God.

Improbable that they would believe the lie, but the lie they did. “Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has He really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?…The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:1,4 NASB2020)

It is a lie that cost them and us deeply but cost God even more. In that moment Adam and Eve lost their intimate relationship with God. “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” (Gen 3:8-9)

Advent is the improbable story of hope. Advent is the story of God bringing hope again to our dark world. Advent is God’s story of redemption, life, and re-creation.  Adam and Eve were banished from the garden but not from God. “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” (3:21) In their darkest hour, God didn’t abandon them but took it upon Himself to cloth them and go with them. I don’t know if Adam and Eve looked back as they walked out of the garden but if they did, they would have seen a faint flame of hope being lit that day.

Adam and Eve left the garden that day and began a journey that would take them into a new place of challenges, hardship, and loneliness. Sin left a deadly mark that day that would cost God everything.

Advent is the longing for and looking for the Redeemer that will restore us and redeem us out of the darkness. Izwe Nkosi writes, “Advent is a season of waiting and desiring, and of hope-filled longing as I invite Christ, the light of the world to come again into my life and into our beautiful but dark and broken world. Light of life, illuminate my darkness.”

Advent – The Improbable Story of Hope became probable because “God so loved the world, that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” –John 3:16

“May my peace and perspective be renewed in the busyness of this season.

May my hand be free enough from spending and acquiring to receive Your gift.

May a little of the wonder and magic of Christmas awaken the child within me today.

And may God’s word feed me and His Spirit lead me into the week and into the life to come. Amen.”  (adapted from Sabbath blessing, Pete Greig)

God is great!