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The Lord is near! This is the message for this Advent. How do we react on this?
Indifferent? – “What of it, it does not change my daily routine. It is for my life insignificant.”
Negative? – “These are the usual promises of the church throughout the ages. The reality looks to me quite different.”
Questioning? – “Is this not the belief of the saints which is long passed?”

It is wished that all, who are indifferent, negative and questioning would be able to be spoken to through the word. Because all are invited to turn and look away from themselves and pay attention to the Lord. The Advent-time should also be used for a “Quite-time”. There is a saying: “When Kings speak, the people are silent and when God speaks, the world holds it’s breath.” Yes, so it should be, but the world does the opposite and is astounded that they can’t understand God anymore.
What is the reason for this appeal? It points to an event, which not only mankind but also heaven and earth will be concerned with. Influence upon the earthly is the matter. We sing a hymn: “See this miracle, how the highest is bowing himself!” This seems so unbelievable to the worldly man, that first of all heaven is called upon to glorify. When the shepherds heard the heavenly message: “See I bring you tidings of great joy”, there were angels who said Amen. The earth was silent, the shepherds were dumbfounded, but heaven started to sing the songs of praise. Later on, when the shepherds saw the miracle themselves, then did they honour and glorify God.
Yes, our Word will also call us to rejoicing and glorifying. Are we still able to do this from our heart? A Christmas celebration was held in an office. The boss, a devout Christian requested a well known Christmas song to be sung. Hardly anyone sang. The “modern” man does hardly sing and if by all means it has to be, there is the radio or the good CD. It is a pity that people don’t sing anymore like they used to and the songs of praise to honour God is hardly known. In one of the youth songs it says: “Always will I praise you Father, what your love has given me, never shall my song of praise be silent till I come home to you.” Do in our houses sound the songs to honour God? The creature, as well, shall glorify His intervention.
But, but, ….. we would like to hesitate, can we really await this? Day after day we hear about the so called destructions of the environment and indeed we cannot ignore their harm. Would it not be corrector to point to the “complaining” and “sighing” of nature, than to request it’s praise and glory? But this calling has a qualified reason. This reason is the merciful intervention of God, which leads to the turn for the good. God’s mercy is the cause which creates a complete new situation for man and creature. God wants to keep what He has created.
Advent: We are waiting for Christ’s return and for the completion of the New Heaven and New Earth. Only then will the sighing of the creature end. May the precious promises for the future be a comfort to us, but not put us off. In this time of Advent let us be let away from complaints and accusations through the Word and be fastened into the living hope: God is faithful and what He promises He certainly will keep.