As Charlie Brown's friends sang, "Christmastime is here," with all the joy and heartache, anticipation and letdown that attends this holiday. Kids waiting for Santa, parents struggling to both find and afford presents, people mourning the first Christmas without their spouse or parent - Christmas is full of conflicting emotions.
In the midst of this, we need at times a reminder that Christmas is as much about waiting and watching as it is about celebration and nostalgia. We all remember that the anticipation of the presents under the tree made them better, and the long wait for the holiday feast was the best seasoning ever. The waiting was part of the enjoyment...and it couldn't be rushed.
This same sense of waiting and watching can help us embrace the spiritual meaning of Advent and Christmas. Long-anticipated, the birth of the Messiah caught many off-guard, but not those who were both waiting and watching. Simeon and Anna, the paragons of Jewish messianic hope, knew how to wait and watch...and because of this, they were ready when the infant Jesus showed up in the Temple courts. I'm sure it wasn't easy to go to the Temple each day, to pause and listen for God's voice with each new arrival, to maintain hope across many years, but they did. And so today they are remembered for their faith, shown in their waiting and watching.
What has God called us to wait for this year? What manifestation and incarnation of Christ are we to watch for this Christmas? In the busyness of the season, may we not miss hearing God's voice while we wait, and may we maintain our watch for the joyful revelation of Christ our Lord.
Merry Christmas!
Adam
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