Waiting with purpose
We live in a world that is constantly calling us to “change.” Politicians promise change, advertisers sell us products that will “change our lives,” and self-help articles tell us to “become the best version of ourselves.” Yet in spite of all the call for change, many people feel stuck - stuck in habits, sometimes stuck in guilt, sometimes in a feeling that they will never be good enough, whatever that good might mean. I wonder if people had those same feelings when John the Baptist came speaking his message of change: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” How welcome would that message have been for some? But his message though is something very different. It is God’s invitation to real change - change that begins in the heart, change that lasts, change that brings hope, whatever situation we find ourselves in. Advent is the season when we hear that call afresh, and when we prepare not only to celebrate the birth of Jesus but also to meet him face ...