Second Week Of Advent

Question of the Week
Second Sunday of Advent
December 6

When prophets foretold the coming of Jesus, there must have been hope in the hearts of many people that they would personally encounter this Savior. But when the birth of Jesus did occur, the circumstances had to have turned the world upside down for many of these people. How could they be asked to believe that the long awaited Savior came as a baby in a manger in the town of Bethlehem with so little fanfare? These circumstances certainly must have smashed the hopes of many who anticipated the coming in a more comely way. Perhaps we have lost the shock value of what this meant because we have the advantage of knowing in hindsight the historical events surrounding the life of Jesus. But have we also hardened ourselves to the shock value of how Jesus might attempt to enter our lives today. Is our hope based more on who we think God should be and how our prayers should be answered or is it based on opening ourselves to recognize the surprise appearance of God in ways that He may intend? Have you had any “shock value” experiences when it seemed Jesus could not possible be present to you but then were able to recognize how much He was a part of the experience?