The theme for our Advent Guide this year is hope. After considering various themes, we chose hope for the reminder of eternal Hope rather than the spurts of an optimistic outlook. We understand hope as waiting for what is beyond the obvious, a hope that focuses on eternal joy—not joy that is victim to situational or earthly troubles. Our use of hope means the promise of the life and fullness that comes with Christ. We rest and work in our hope of “The Lord has come,” the waiting and receiving of God. We wrote our Advent devotionals around the hope found in the fullness of God.
Our NC Interfaith Power and Light Intern, Sabrina Rosario, starts our guide with this:
Allow yourself to experience the expectation of the arrival of Emmanuel. “God with us,” our Lord stepping into time and space with the sole purpose of fellowship, the mission of getting as close as possible to you. The mystery of living inside you. The arrival of hope.
Colossians 1:27 reads, “Christ in you, the hope of Glory.” My native language is Portuguese and the word hope, “esperança,” carries the same prefix as the verb wait, “esperar.” Having hope means we wait for the Lord Jesus to come and make this world right. We might have heavy hearts and afflicting circumstances, but that baby lying in the manger affirms for us that suffering and tears, inequality and injustice, will not last forever. Their days are numbered!
“Espere, colocando a esperança em Cristo,” Wait and put your hope in Christ . . . Amen.