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Advent reminds us that there is a plan of God. This plan is larger than any of us, who sometimes struggle with the smallness of our little perspective or the silly or mundane aspects of our daily lives. God’s plan, from the very beginning, was to share His life with us.
However, like the plans we make in our lives, His plan can be frustrated, delayed or even denied. Sometimes others frustrate our plans, they arrive late, or they share secrets with others who spread it about, or your plans get denied by a boss or by a close friend. This can hurt – you see what could’ve been – and then you see what turned out. And if this happens to us in our lives enough – we can give up, we can settle or we can stop planning for anything and just let stuff happen.
Thankfully, God is greater than us. Although by our own free will we have often frustrated his plans or even at times outright denied He has the right to make them, He doesn’t give up on us! That’s really Good News! He will not give up on us. The entire Old Testament – which is what Advent really is – is God’s plan to rescue us from ourselves and our sinfulness – until Christ would come to save us.
From the start – God’s plan was set and re-set. Adam rejected His commands, Cain affected by sin killed his brother Abel out of a spiritual jealousy, Noah served as a rescuer of those who would listen, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob 1800-1700BC answered the call to be the forefathers of the faith of Israel. Moses (1250BC) trusted, led the people out of slavery & received the Commandments. Joshua (1150BC) led the people across the Jordan into the Promised Land after 40 years of penance. The (1050-950BC) Kings Saul, David and Solomon lead His people (not perfectly but even disastrously, at times) once they had settled in the Promised Land. Prophets like Jeremiah and Isaiah pointed to problems in how the people were living their faith, predicted an Exile in Babylon, (587BC) and pointed toward a future Savior. This is Advent….the setting up of the plan for the salvation of the world, and you and me.
All through the Old Testament and into the life of the early and contemporary Church we find ourselves a part of the larger plan. That’s why we focused on the “5’s” a few weeks back, in order to focus on the larger perspective of our lives and God’s plan. Let’s use this Advent not just to plan gifts but to unwrap God’s gift of our vocation, His plan for us and for the world.
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