Advent Writing

In college, my writing professor said that if you can only write if you have something to say. It’s easy to convince myself that I have nothing to say, because honestly, at this point it’s all been said. So everyday I wake up and think to myself, is the writer’s block still there? And it is. Hello old friend.

Advent is the season I struggle with most. I don’t look forward to Christmas as much as I do Easter, and in the South it doesn’t even feel like winter yet. (The low this morning was 61. I wore short sleeves on Thanksgiving). Advent is, I think, the most counter-cultural of our church seasons. When everything around us says “The Holidays are here! Shop shop shop!,” and towns put up Christmas lights right after Halloween, who wants to wait? We don’t have to wait on anything anymore; that’s what our iPhones are for, to escape the tedium of waiting on anything.

Advent is not just hard for those who want to jump the gun. For those of us who always have laziness on our confession list, it’s a reminder to prepare. To be alert, ready, watchful. Real preparation is the antithesis of procrastination. Oh how I love to wait till the last minute, until panic arrives and I scramble. Advent says to get off your ass, put your house in order.

So how can we prepare? And what are we preparing for? Not just for Christmas, I learned in catechesis. No, we prepare for the kingdom of heaven, for the return of Christ the King. And what is the kingdom of heaven? What does Christ look like as king? How will He expect us to live in His kingdom?

There are very few people I’ve met who would feel at home in a kingdom ruled by Christ. During Advent I’m going to write about them. They are not famous, but they’ve inspired me, and I’d like to share something about how they live. No real names, obviously. I hope they bless you as they have blessed me. Peace.