Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people
free;
From our fears and sins release us; let us find our rest
in thee.
Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a king,
Born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom
bring.
- Charles Wesley
Advent is all about…well, you know…hope, peace, joy, and
love, right? This hymn says Advent is all about…freedom…deliverance…a kingdom
of grace. A topsy-turvy kingdom ruled by a child-king, reigning not over us, but in us. Free from what, we may wonder? We are living in the USA, as free as
any people in the world. But there are bars that imprison us in a narrow world
of small expectations and low risks. We are prisoner to our fears and sins,
allowing them to hold us back from full participation in Christ’s kingdom of
grace. In this kingdom there is no place for our small-minded fears and doubts.
Talk about your revolution….it’s independence day!
...so here we stand, whoever we are,
bathed in the light of a star...
I hope to see more than lab reports, schedules, and exams during this advent season. Those are the bars I *see* each year at this time.
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