The First Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Colette Hammesfahr

 Luke 21:25-36 

Here in coastal Georgia, we worry about hurricanes. Out in the Pacific Ocean there is a threat of hurricanes, but the real worry and threat is over a tsunami. A tsunami is a giant wave created by seismic activity along the ocean floor.  

An area in the Pacific Ocean called the “Ring of Fire” is where 80% of the world’s tsunamis happen. Earthquakes, landslides, and sometimes volcanoes cause a significant shift in the ocean floor. Water gets displaced, causing giant waves to move inland. As these giant waves move inland across the ocean's deep waters, they build up speed and height. Some waves can travel over 500 miles per hour and don’t slow down until they reach shallow water as it moves closer to land. Because of their unbelievable speed, there is not much time to prepare.  

In 2004, on December 26, there was a massive earthquake below the Indian Ocean. With a magnitude of over 9.1, waves spread out in all directions, heading to coastlines thousands of miles away. Waves as high as 100 feet smashed into coastal communities in 14 countries. More than 230,000 people lost their lives, and millions of people were without their homes. This large-scale disaster makes it one of the deadliest natural disasters in our history.  

There is a small island off the coast of Indonesia, an island of 75,000 residents. Where other towns and islands lost tens of thousands of their residents, the island of Simeulue had only seven fatalities. The residents of this small island fled to higher ground because they knew the signs. For generations and generations, stories have been passed down about similar events. They knew what to look for, and they knew how to respond.  

Their story can remind us of the apocalyptic words we hear today from Jesus and his expectations of us. Jesus is in the temple, talking to the people. He’s on the journey to his crucifixion. He is telling them what to look for, the signs of the end of time and how to respond.  

We will see signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. The Son of Man will come in a cloud with power and great glory. Strange words as we celebrate the first week of Advent, aren’t they? But maybe not. Today, we’ve lit the first candle on the advent wreath, which represents “hope.” The word “advent” means “to come into being.” In this season of Advent, we are waiting to celebrate and remember the birth of Jesus, God, in human form, coming into being.  

Jesus tells his followers that the end of his life is coming very soon. Shortly, he will be taken to the cross to die for us. He also tells of the promise of his second coming. There is hope of an everlasting life. These words from Jesus on this first Sunday in Advent aren’t that strange after all.  Advent is more than just the Christmas story. Advent is also a time of waiting for Jesus to “come into being” again. It’s when we look forward to when we will stand before the Son of Man. These words shouldn’t sound apocalyptic, they should bring us great joy.     

So, why are we sometimes bothered by this text? We have questions….How long do we have to wait? How will we know? Jesus says we have to be observant. We have to look for the signs. Some of these signs don’t sound very pleasant – distress among nations, roaring of the sea and the waves, the heavens will be shaken. The time for redemption is drawing near. Be observant. Look for the warning signs. Be prepared.  

Tsunamis come with warning signs. The residents of the small island of     Si-ma-loo didn’t know when to expect a tsunami. But they knew what to watch for – things like a receding shoreline, strange animal behavior, and seismic activity. They prepared their town by setting up early warning systems. They learned to look out for their community when they were faced with this danger. They cared for one another by going out into the streets and shouting their word for tsunami, “semong,” to warn their neighbors. Evacuation plans were put in place. When they saw the signs, they took action. They transported people to higher ground using any transportation they could find – motorbikes and cars. The people were even seen transporting children in wheelbarrows. While their homes and livelihoods were destroyed, nearly all the community survived. They were prepared. They saw the signs.  

They lived, never knowing when a tsunami would occur. They live, always ready. Even though there was massive destruction when the great tsunami hit their island, nearly all the residents lived to see another day.   

The apocalyptic language from Jesus is not all doom and gloom. In our lives and throughout history, there have been cycles of war, fire, storms, flooding, and unrest. When these things happen, people often ask, “Is this it? Is this the end times?” What if it is? What if it is time to stand before the Son of Man? Are we prepared? In our Christian faith, isn’t this what we have been waiting for – to enter the kingdom of God?  

We need not to be worried. If we are living out our lives as the hands and feet of Jesus, why should we be worried? Why should we be anxious? Just as the people of Simeulue were prepared, cared for one another and lived with hope, Jesus has taught us how to prepare and how to live with hope.  

Jesus teaches that as we wait, we cannot sit around idly. Our waiting should be filled with action. Our actions bolster preparation. Actively waiting involves engaging in the life of your church and caring for those living in the margins. Actively waiting means working on and growing your relationship with God through prayer and formation. Actively waiting, not impatiently or anxiously waiting, allows us to experience Christ as we prepare.   

Jesus also teaches us that we are not to dwell on his coming. We don’t need to be anxious about whether this is our last day or wonder if we the end times are near. He wants us to live joyfully, engaging with our neighbors and embracing all God has given us. Do not be anxious. God has promised to care for us. God has promised a place for us. Do not live in anxiety; live in hope. Jesus said, “My words will not pass away.” In other words, he was saying, “I promise. You can trust me.”  

We were baptized as children of God into Christ’s death and resurrection. At our baptism, we received the promise from Jesus, “I promise. You can trust me.” Regardless of what catastrophes or events are occurring around us or elsewhere in the world, God has made us a promise. The promise that Christ will come again. The promise that Jesus goes to prepare a place for us. That promise gives us hope. The hope we remember in the lighting of our first Advent candle today.  

C.S. Lewis wrote, “Hope is one of the theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not, as some modern people think, a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.”1  

Advent is the time to celebrate the birth of a baby who came into this world 2000 years ago—the baby who was fully human but also fully God. Advent is the time to prepare for Christ’s coming again -- awaiting the promise of Christ’s “coming into being.” Be prepared. Do not wait idly. Do not fear. Preparation for the promise comes with faith, hope, and joyful expectation that only comes from our savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.