‘But in those days, after that suffering,the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. ‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’ Gospel of Mark, 13
The countdown has begun. The decorating, the baking, the shopping, the TV specials, the 24/7 Christmas music, the shopping, the madness that is the “Holiday Season” is now thrust upon us. Black Friday is being characterized as a frenzy of violence by the Sunday newspaper. I doubt most shoppers witnessed violence, but it did occur in the wee small hours of the morning while men and women wrestled flat panel televisions, Ipads, and other tech gadgetry out of big chain stores. "Right now get the hottest deals on the things you want this holiday. Stores are opening at midnight." One man was in line at best buy at 1 am on Thanksgiving day---he spent his entire thanksgiving day waiting in line at a best buy, so that he could be the first one in. He got in at midnight like everyone else. But he was first and he was prepared. Something is wrong here. How did things get to be so far off?
My neighbors are either entered into a Christmas light display contest or they are preparing our street to become part of the Lancaster county airport. I like twinkle lights as much as the next guy. He who lives in a glass house must not cast stones. I confess, we decorated the house, too. Weather was nice, unseasonably warm—felt like early October. And we were hanging Christmas lights. It seemed like I just took them down. It always seems that way, because this season is about the traditions, habits, and routines we return to every year. We are walking in circles here, so if it feels like we've been this way before its because we have. We counted down with the mayor of Lancaster on Friday night at the downtown tree-lighting. Then he encouraged everyone to come back the next day to shop downtown—have to drum up local business. We will count the shopping days until Christmas. 27. Then Christmas will come and go, as Thanksgiving did. Thanksgiving is feeling more and more like a kick-off event for the Christmas/New years season, than a day to pause and give thanks. We were the first nation to declare a national day of thanksgiving. And we do so with hearts already preparing to buy more things. We say we are thankful for what we have, for the ways God has blessed us in the past year. But our hearts are restless. After the Christmas rush,we will countdown to New Years day. We will count the hours, then the minutes, then the seconds until midnight. There will be revelry. Then it will all be over. January 2nd is the end of the holiday cycle. We'll come back again next year. My wife pondered why this season gives us reason to hear music by Johnny Mathis and Andy Williams. She says it's like watching Lawrence Welk reruns on tv for a month. I get it. This season is not about the future or even the present. It is about the past. More specifically it is about nostalgia, childhood, longing to go home. The cycle, the circle, gives us comfort because it is familiar and predictable. If there is one worship service in the year church leaders change to their own peril it is Christmas eve.
Yes, this is the cycle season. We are spinning faster and faster. We mark time carefully now as we approach December 25th and January 1st.
So the bible story from Mark 13 makes no sense to us. All of this stuff about days of suffering and the coming of the Son of Man on clouds. First, this is linear thinking---putting a final period on the end of the creation story. There is nothing cyclical or predictable in this; it is about a "son of man" breaking into the world from heaven above. It is about a collision between God's realm and planet earth. The one who is coming is mysterious, a "son of man." Someone like us, who we do not know is coming. Take that and compare it to our holiday story: We know who is coming to town don’t we; you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I’m telling you why, santa claus is coming to town. Its predictable, cyclical, just like last year. Same suit, same hat, same sleigh.
And all this stuff about the changing of seasons, using an analogy from summer fruit-bearing trees to remind us that fruit eventually ripens and is ready to harvest and eat. Not cyclical, terminal. Not winter, summer. This story does not fit in with our holiday plans. We know how to tell time, how to mark it, how to control it. But the stuff about the day and hour being unknown to any and all except God the Father—this ought to scare us. We cannot anticipate what is about to happen, according to the bible. We cannot know or control what God is about to do. And according to the bible, according to Jesus, God is up to something big. Some kind of cataclysmic, life altering, world shifting experience is about to to happen. We don’t know when or where or what it will mean. It will mean complete and total annihilation of our plans, breaking into our cycle, our calendars, our schedules. A total disruption. So to this gospel we say: NOT now. Not when we are getting into the flow of the holiday season. We want Johnny Mathis, not John the Baptist. But God is sending someone into the world to break the cycle, because the cycle is a broken record. It is not forward movement. It is directionless spinning. No wonder we are exhausted by it. We are hamsters on the holiday wheel! Advent says, its time to get off!
Mark refers to the hours of the night as critical times to keep watch. The gospel will remark again on the disciples’ watchfulness on the same hours on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. It was at cock crow that Peter denied him, at dawn when he was led away to be crucified. At critical hours pf the night, the disciples were unable to remain alert and watchful. They could not pay attention to the son of man's presence. We are asleep at the wheel too. We are letting the demands of the nostalgic past lull us into a holiday coma! I repeat: Advent says, WAKE UP!
The critical hour at which the crucified and risen one returns will be a surprise, an unexpected and disruptive event, a jarring of the universe, a tearing open of the fabric of space and time. He will come again. So pay attention! Get off the holiday spin cycle and see that the end is near. We are heading straight for it. A storm lies ahead. Watch for it. That is the Advent proclamation. In the midst of the chaos of this holy season, how will the LORD break into your life, your house, your world? How will God’s power of love break in and claim you as His child? Comfort and warmth, twinkle lights and sweets, full bellies, and a never-ending parade of entertainment will keep you hypnotized. How will you know when God comes near you? How will you receive the Christ? According to God's Word, He is coming. What I say to you I say to all: Keep Awake.
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