Contrary to the cultural craziness of December, and even contrary to the practice of many churches (unless you are one who follows the Christian Year, and in doing so might lose the relevance of all this out of yearly routine), this is a season giving us space to explore and feel what’s missing.

Just like a time is given to eating, sleeping, working, and other routine so Advent is an annual occasion holding in it a specific purpose and gift. While attempting throughout most of our year to cope with our whole-less-ness, Advent invites us to experience the ache of our humanity and the hope of an arrival – of redemption, renewal, newness, miracle, Jesus.

Can you really know these things of promise if you’re not in tune with the antitheses of such things within you? In these weeks we’re invited to come out of denial, experience our brokeness, and wait in hope.

The Savior, Jesus, has come. He is coming again. He is coming to us now. And so we are offered this annual gift to face our darkness and wait for the light. In fact, in facing the darkness of our own soul light begins to shine, because what lurks hidden within us no longer goes unnoticed but is exposed.

Exposure isn’t enough, however, because it’s not transformation. That comes on Christmas Day when the Savior arrives and does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. But we can’t get to Christmas Day until we experience Advent.