Advent Faith Stories: Stay Awake
Therefore you must also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming a an unexpected hour.(Matthew 24: 44)
If the Son of Man came today . . . now that is a sobering thought. In the last few months we have experienced racial unrest and violence, the natural disaster of flooding, and a toxic and hateful environment fostered by the recent presidential campaign. What is happening to our world? What would Jesus do if His coming occurred in these chaotic times?
Ever the eternal optimist, I find myself bewildered by such negative times.What is meant by the words ‘you must also be ready’ and ‘stay awake’? Feeding and housing flood victims seems the easiest solution of the three major problems mentioned earlier. But how do we react to the racism in our society or the homophobia, nativism and essentially ‘fear of everything’? These burdens can be overwhelming. This is truly the time to turn to God and renew our faith in Him.
We don’t have to struggle alone. Jesus invites us to come to Him and He will share our burdens. I have found St. John’s to be a place of solace in so many ways.In our Sunday school classes, our covenant groups, our Sunday worship times, our Shepherd’s Market, as well as our personal relationships, we experience hope. Our family of faith here at St. John’s gives me the strength to be strong as we prepare for the future.
In closing I am reassured by the words in Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Bobbi Marino