Advent!
Advent is probably my favorite time of year. In part, I love the Christmas carols and anticipation of the coming of Christ. Along with that, I love the readings from Isaiah, with their apocalyptic and hopeful expression of what Christians desire: not just the coming of Christ, but the transformation of the whole world into the Kingdom God desires, of peace and plenty, of joy and fullness. Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid..... There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea. (Isaiah 11:6,9) So, Advent is the time of waiting, but not just waiting. We wait for the Kingdom of God, but we wait with great longing and hope. Waiting implies that we sit passively by; longing gets to the heart of our patient waiting, the anticipation, hope, and desire that accompanies our awaiting the coming of Christ. I...