Any CEO will tell you the key to building a successful business is to think big and begin with the end in mind, meaning know where you’re going tomorrow.
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Take Amazon, for example. Twenty-five years ago, Jeff Bezos began selling books online.
But his vision was to create a digital mall, where customers could search for any product – not just books – and Amazon would deliver it.
This year alone, Amazon will deliver an estimated 2.5 billion packages around the world.
Key to Amazon’s success has been thinking big, keeping the end in mind.
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In our first reading, the prophet Isaiah describes the end of days. It isn’t a time of war; it’s a time of peace.
“The wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid,” he says. “We shall beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks.”
This is God’s promise to us, that one day we shall live in peace.
During times like this, when COVID cases are surging, unemployment remains high, and a general sense of anxiety grips our world, we must remember the end.
Peace is on the horizon.
Advent is a time for us to pause and ponder this truth; to consider how we can make Isaiah’s prophecy a reality, starting in our own hearts and homes.
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So, how can I bring peace to others around me?
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Keep the end in mind. Peace is coming.
May everything we do today assist in making that happen.
This first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of a new Liturgical Year. So, today we have a fresh start, a new beginning.
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2020 has been a year unlike any other. If someone told us back in February that the Coronavirus would still be wreaking havoc on our world, we’d say they were crazy.
But here we are.
Think of how many Americans are shuffling into churches this morning burdened in ways they never would’ve imagined.
Many have lost loved ones to COVID. Tons of students are still learning online. Some of us haven’t seen our loved ones since March, while others have lost their homes or jobs because of a wildfire or hurricane.
2020 has been rough, leaving many whose faith has been parched asking, “Where is God?”
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Considering the suffering that’s taken place this year, that’s a hard question to answer. Perhaps no answer will suffice.
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But all of our readings today wrestle with this question.
In our first reading, the prophet Isaiah cries out, “Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways? Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down.”
Isaiah feels the absence of God, who seems hidden in the heavens.
The Psalmist adds, “Rouse your power, Lord; come to save us. Look from heaven and see; give us new life, and we will call upon your name.”
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The prophets of the Old Testament cried out to God; they felt his absence, like so many of us have this year. Although they didn’t doubt God’s power to save, they struggled to see the Lord present in their darkest days.
This is what Advent is all about, recognizing our need for God; our need for him to be present in our lives. To stay. To protect us. To deliver us from evil.
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At Christmas, we celebrate the truth that the Lord has come to save us. And he will come again at the end of time, as both our Judge and Savior.
But for now, we wait. We’re stuck in the, “in between.”
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Waiting is perhaps the most difficult part of the spiritual journey.
It’s the story of ancient Israel. It’s the story of believers throughout the centuries. It’s been the story of our world in 2020.
We wait for God. We wait for a vaccine to be administered. We wait for a return to normal.
We wait.
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But if we look with eyes of faith, then we can see that the Lord is acting in our lives.
For example, God is present in the scientists who’ve been rushing to find a vaccine. He’s in the medical workers who’ve spent months fighting tirelessly on the frontlines.
He’s in the teachers and parents who’ve had to dig deep these last nine months, finding reserves of patience and creativity they never knew they had.
He’s in the voice of a friend who calls just to say hello. He’s in the neighbor who drops off a home cooked meal to a friend in quarantine.
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So, where is God?
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God is in us.
We are his hands and feet in the world until he returns.
Think of how often the Lord places desires in our heart to be bold; honest; generous; kind; and creative.
God gives us the desire, but then we must act.
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This is Jesus’ point in today’s Gospel.
A master goes on a journey and leaves his servants in charge of his household. Each servant is assigned to a particular task. When the master returns, he judges them based upon their performance.
Meaning, the Lord gives us tasks to do in this world.
In my case, he’s appointed me shepherd of this flock. When he returns, Jesus will judge me based upon how attentive I’ve been to my responsibilities.
But what about you? What do you believe God has asked you to do in life?
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Often the answer changes over time.
Perhaps the Lord’s invited you to live as a faithful spouse; a loving parent; a servant in the world. Or maybe he’s invited you to volunteer – to offer your time, treasure, and talent to others in this parish.
Whatever God has given us to do, may we do it all.
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The good news is this: 2020 is coming to an end.
But people will still be asking, “Where is God?” in 2021.
Someone said recently, “The one thing God receives more than anything else is complaints.”
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This could certainly be true for 2020.
Imagine how many people have cried out, “God, I’m tired of COVID, face masks and social distance! Bring an end to it!”
Or, “Please, Lord, let me go back to school. I can’t stand my siblings any longer!”
Or, “My clothes don’t fit. I fell victim to the quarantine-15!”
Or, I’m sure many of us have complained to God about not seeing our loved ones this Thanksgiving.
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God’s received his fair share of complaints this year.
But what might the Lord say to us in return?
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I’d imagine him saying something like, “2020 has been a difficult year, to be sure. But have an attitude of gratitude. Behind most of those complaints, there’s a reason to be grateful.”
For example, “My clothes don’t fit, BUT I’m well fed.”
Or, “I’m tired of learning online, BUT I’m receiving an education.”
Or in the case of the leper in today’s Gospel, “I’ve spent my entire life being shunned by society…BUT I was just healed by Jesus.”
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So much of life is perspective. We can spend our time complaining about what goes wrong, or we can look for a reason to be grateful.
For example, I’m grateful for the gift of faith. I’m grateful for this parish. I’m grateful I woke up today – and, please God, I’ll be grateful for waking up tomorrow.
