“Stay. Sit. Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. Behold. Wonder. There will be time enough for running. For rushing. For worrying. For pushing. For now, stay. Wait. Something is on the horizon.”  

(Jan Richardson. Searching the Shadows of Advent and Christmas.)

The time of Advent is a time of preparation, especially inner preparation.

In our Gospel reading, John prepares the way for the Messiah. He preaches, baptises, and creates a sense of expectation and hope in the minds and hearts of the people. People are drawn to John and come from all over Judaea to be baptised and confess their sins. John, however, is adamant that he is the one sent ahead. The baptism he offers is a step in the preparation for the coming of one who is much greater, the long-awaited Messiah.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi spoke of a messenger of God (3.1) who would go ahead and, in the words of Isaiah, “prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (40.3)

There is always a lot of preparation when we expect an important or special guest—deciding what food to buy and prepare, what we will wear, and cleaning the space to make it welcoming. When my brother and his family visit from overseas, my mother spends a great deal of energy getting in their favourite foods, making up beds, and ensuring that light bulbs are working and everything is in place. All of this is important and builds a sense of excitement and longing.

We also make practical preparations for Christmas that are part of the joy of celebrating the incarnation. But there is another preparation to which God is calling us—an inner preparation of our hearts and minds.

If you were to have a conversation with John today, what inner preparation might he invite you to as we move through this Advent time towards the celebration of Christmas?

To use this metaphor of preparation, perhaps there is some clutter to let go of—an old resentment or a regret. There may be someone to forgive or a desire to ask forgiveness. Letting go creates space to encounter Christ. 

John might invite you to reflect on the past year and notice what we are most grateful for—people, places, and experiences that have been life-giving. Gratitude expands our capacity to receive whatever God is longing to give us.

John would invite each of us to a preparation that is not rushed or frantic (as too often our preparations for Christmas tend to be). Instead, he would invite us to slow down, relax and embrace the waiting with longing.

Reflections by Annemarie Paulin-Campbell

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