{"id":1082,"date":"2021-12-02T14:31:06","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T14:31:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniofglos.blog\/chaplaincy\/?p=1082"},"modified":"2021-12-02T14:31:06","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T14:31:06","slug":"advent-longing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.glos.ac.uk\/chaplaincy\/2021\/12\/02\/advent-longing\/","title":{"rendered":"Advent longing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We often talk about Advent as a time of waiting, but that sounds a bit passive and empty. I think that behind the Advent readings and songs and hymns there is more than just waiting – there is longing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We look back to the longing of God\u2019s people for a Messiah to deliver them – they have waited in darkness for so long, and now their saviour is coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We may or may not be excited by Christmas coming, but perhaps we may be able to sense, at the heart of everything else, a longing to welcome our saviour again, as the one born among us, God\u2019s gift for the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And as we look at the world now, we long for all the promises of God\u2019s kingdom to be fulfilled – for wrongs to be righted, the poor to be lifted up, for peace to come and for people and nations to find healing. We long to see all of that beginning now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How long? we ask, like God\u2019s people down the ages. Come Lord Jesus, we pray – come quickly – come and save us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our reading is about longing too – the longing of a people in exile – in Babylon – to come home, to come back to the land they had been promised. Isaiah passes on a message that they will come home, that the road for their return will be prepared. And at the end we hear something which speaks of another longing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We hear that God \u2018tends his flock like a shepherd, he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that are with young.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is God\u2019s longing for his people, God\u2019s longing for us – his longing to welcome us home, and bring us to himself. Just as we say to him -\u2018Come to save us\u2019 so he says to us \u2018Come to me – come home\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m reading a book this advent with a poem by Christina Rosetti for each day. Her most famous one is \u2018In the bleak midwinter\u2019. Yesterday I read one which picks up this double longing. It\u2019s called \u2018Advent\u2019:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Come,\u2019 Thou dost say to Angels,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To blessed Spirits, \u2018Come\u2019:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Come,\u2019 to the lambs of Thine own flock,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thy little ones, \u2018Come home.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Come,\u2019 from the many-mansioned house<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gracious word is sent;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Come,\u2019 from the ivory palaces<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unto the Penitent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O Lord, restore us deaf and blind,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unclose our lips though dumb:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then say to us, \u2018I will come with speed,\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And we will answer, \u2018Come.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It makes me think of a longed for meeting between two people who care deeply about each other\u2026 the impatient waiting – the tingle of excitement and anticipation just beforehand – the leap of the heart at the first sighting – the long hug\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we get in touch with our longing to welcome Jesus and to be with God – and when we bring this to him – then we discover the answering longing that he has for us. Perhaps we can imagine him also looking forward to our meeting and our time together with anticipation, and savouring those times, when they come, with delight – whether that is at Christmas, or in the space we make in Advent, or here as we share in this service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We bring to Jesus our longing for his presence with us in the different parts of our lives – in all our struggles and challenges and joys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n