The Mosaic

Advent Reflections - The past couple of weeks several of you have participated with me in our Advent study on Malachi. Our journey through the text has left me humbled with what it was really like to wait for the Messiah. Not only does Malachi depict an unfaithful people (although that is a big part of it); it depicts a people scared and lonely. A people fractured, and sick of waiting and hoping for God only to be disappointed with oppression and violence. A people tired, jaded, and hopeless.
I do not know about you, but I have felt a lot of those things this past year, including unfaithfulness. I have a lot of empathy for those early Jews who knew the promise of a Messiah, but had no idea who, when, or where. We sit in our twenty-first century timeline privileged with foresight of Christmas Eve. What a blessing that is.
In our Christian tradition, and with our Christian calendars, it is easy to get swept up in the joyful Christmas craze of preparing for Jesus without critically thinking about the uncertainty that comes with waiting. This week and, perhaps, until Christmas Eve, I encourage you to lean into the unknown. Into the uncertainty and fear that comes with not knowing when our Savior will come. If we do that, come Christmas Day, think about how much more joy we will experience.
Thanks be to God!
Kenna Curry
Pastoral Intern