December 2, 2024; Luke 21:25-28,34-36; First Sunday of Advent
We don’t have to live very long before we encounter turmoil and discouragement. Sooner or later the plans we have made fall apart and crises arise over which we have little control. This is what makes today’s gospel so important because this gospel has turmoil in spades. The sun, the moon, and the stars are in upheaval. Nations are dismayed. The sea roars without control. And in the midst of this turmoil Jesus as the Son of Man appears. The evangelist tells us that when we see Jesus in the clouds, we are to stand erect and raise our heads because our redemption is at hand.
This gospel not only gives us a picture of the end of time, it also presents us with a model for the present time. It insists that turmoil and upheaval do not hinder Jesus. In fact, they are the very circumstances in which he can be found. It is precisely in those moments of fear and discouragement that we are asked to look around and try to see him.
Any of you who lost a loved one in death this year knows how difficult the holiday season can be. An empty chair at Thanksgiving dinner or fewer presents under the tree are small indications of what you are missing. Such loss can turn the joy of the season into a burden. But we asked to look in the midst of such loss and try to see Jesus. If the person who has died loved you deeply and made you a better person, perhaps you can see Jesus when you give love back to others. Each time you reach out in care to a friend, a family member, or a stranger, the gift you received from your deceased loved one can continue in you. There might someone in your life who is in pain, an elderly parent dealing with dementia, a son or daughter experiencing bullying at school. You want to protect them, and you want to help them. But it seems that there is so little that you can do. Yet we are asked in the midst of such helplessness to search for Jesus. If you can find him in the support of a faithful spouse who helps you carry your worry or in the consideration of close friends who check often to see how you are, then you can also find strength—strength to continue. All of us want a better world, but when we look at the proliferation of armed conflict, economic injustice, and disregard for the health of our planet, it is easy to become discouraged. But it is in the midst of such discouragement that we are asked to search for the Lord. If we can find him in one or two leaders or initiatives that truly place the good of all above the privilege of the few, then we may be able to believe again that goodness and justice will prevail.
It is easy to see Jesus in perfect times, but we are called to see Jesus in times of turmoil and fear. And whenever we catch even a glimpse of his glory, then we should stand erect and lift up our heads because faith tells us that his salvation is at hand.