Advent Reflection: From Despair to Hope

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.


The verses of this favorite Advent hymn "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" remind us that Advent is about our journey from whatever despair has seized the human spirit to an active hope in the Second Coming of Christ. The problem is that so many of us have worked hard to let nothing of the world and its misery touch us. Sometimes we have a false notion of comfort and we become spectators - detached from the hurts of people in other parts of the world and in denial about what hurts at home. Small wonder that we are inclined to rush through this season of preparation to get to the joys of Christmas.
Yet the truth is: No matter how intently we work to isolate ourselves from other people’s misery, we can’t escape the reality that the human family experiences unbearable suffering and tough times come to us all. We “mourn in lonely exile here” — hoping, waiting for something or someone to divert us from the many roads leading to our destruction. Come, O Come Emmanuel!
This Advent season we’re teaching a series called “Eyewitness Accounts” – which I hope will take us by the hand and lead us on this journey from despair to hope. We will take a closer look at some of the personalities involved in the Christmas story. We will also be reminded that we have not been permanently abandoned to an existence that has no hope and no future. God has a better plan for our lives — as evidenced by the fact that Christ has come once and Christ will come again. While all may not be well with ourselves or all the people around us, the Son of God will one day appear in victory and glory to make all things right.
Advent was never meant to be a month-long fa-la-la-la-la. Instead, Advent is a time to remember just how much the whole world needs Christ. Pastor Rod