The First Sunday of Advent
When I was growing up, we would go on summer road trips, some near some far. Even at a young age, I enjoyed travel, and if there was an observation deck at our destination or even on the way, I would be even more excited. The Japanese Pagoda on Mt Penn in Reading was an early one, then there was the Seagram’s Tower at Niagara Falls, the New York State Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair, the Washington Monument in DC, and the Empire State Building of course.
Most of these sites had these coin operated binoculars. I am sure many here remember these large devices, mounted to a pole. The user would insert a coin, maybe a quarter, then peer through its binocular type of viewer. And you could hear a little mechanical timer ticking away, and then the viewing window closes after a minute or so. Game Over. Deposit another quarter. I don’t remember why I had an infatuation with heights, but I knew I wasn’t alone, as most visits to tall buildings or towers meant waiting a long time in lines. This was especially true at Philadelphia’s City Hall. Where a tiny elevator takes riders, maybe only 4 at a time up into the tower, at that time the tallest structure in the city. I would look to the North and see the light towers at Connie Mack Stadium. Then to the South and see the Walt Whitman Bridge, and JFK Stadium, then looking East, There’s the RCA Building in Camden, with Nipper the dog, listening to his victrola in a window near the top, and of course, the Ben Franklin Bridge. The further the distance the blurrier the object.
I can’t help but think, perhaps distance in space can apply to distance in time? And as we enter the season of Advent, we are listening to the words of ancient prophets, who from their vantage point are seeing visions of a distant future. God is giving them promises about a coming Messiah. We hear about a messiah king who would be a great ruler, someone with power, even greater than King David who would bring justice to the entire World. However, other prophecies speak of a suffering servant, one who would take upon Himself the sin of the world for all mankind.
Which is right? The messianic ruler or the suffering servant?
On a clear day, someone at the top of the Washington Monument, looking though the Northern window might think the National Cathedral and the Naval Observatory were right next to one another, but a quick look at a map of the District of Columbia would show they are miles apart. As Christians we proclaim Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. So, Christians believe the ancient prophets were predicting two messianic visits. From their vantage points, both visions would be correct. Jesus has already come as the suffering servant but will come again as he promised as the powerful ruler. Over the millennia of Christian history, there have been many who have taken upon themselves the task of predicting Christ’s second coming. From the earliest believers in the New Testament era, to today’s prognosticators.
Usually, they have a book or film to sell, and just like the line at the Empire State Building, or the coin operated binoculars at City Hall tower, people line up and pay for this special information. There is one thing these seers have in common: They are all batting zero. They are always wrong.
For people who spend so much time in the bible, with spreadsheets, calendars, databases, and bible commentaries, have they missed Jesus’ teaching in today’s Gospel.
But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
Even Jesus didn’t know.
A few weeks ago, Rev Jane spoke of astrophysics, and according to Albert Einstein, time as we experience it is not necessarily linear. So, Jesus’ teachings on his second coming were more about how we should live our lives as Christians as opposed to a puzzle for us to solve. Christ’s second coming is not a heavenly Wordle or Sudoku puzzle to be solved by looking for clues in the Bible. I am reminded of the first couple from the beginning of the Bible who were tempted with knowledge so they could be like God.
How did that work out?
Those who try to sleuth this secret are distracted from Jesus real teachings about loving God and our neighbor, feeding the hungry, clothing those in need, and helping the homeless, to name a few.
I just returned from Phoenix Az, where I attended the funeral of a close friend of half a century, Robert Conway. Hearing about Rob’s declining health over the past 3 years, battling heart failure, then beating Cancer, and then another bout of heart failure saddened me. And after he passed, the thought of never seeing or talking to Rob again, at least in this world, is difficult to bear. Robert’s battles and suffering ended on Nov 1st, All Saints Day. On the very day we celebrate the lives of those who loved and dedicated their lives to Jesus, canonized or not.
Jesus came a second time.
Not to a manger in Bethlehem, nor to the Mount of Olives, But this time to a bedside in Tempe AZ. Rob’s wife Kathy and his sons shared with me Rob’s passing was very peaceful.
Jesus IS coming back to Earth a second time. That he promised us, and no one knows when, but He will come like a thief in the night. It could be a thousand years from now, or it could be today.
We should live our lives as if it IS today,but for those of us who won’t live to see the second coming, will we be ready? because either way Jesus is coming again for each of us.