Advent is Door Time

A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Isa. 40: 3

When a modern head of state travels on the ground anywhere it is a technological and logistical marvel. An advance team plans the route that is a combination of safe, quick, and comfortable. National, state, and local security forces interconnect to form a safety net. Vehicles bristling with communications gear carry and surround the head of state.

Things were a bit different in the times of Isaiah and of Jesus. Few roads were more than well-worn, difficult, dirt paths. They certainly were not anything to which royalty should be exposed. Yet there was no alternative for travel. When a state visit was planned, workers would go out in advance preparing the road. They would fill in potholes and remove impediments to travel, preparing the way of the coming royalty.

During Advent we prepare ourselves for the arrival of our Lord and Savior; the ultimate head of state. While we prepare for Jesus’ second coming, though, we need also to prepare ourselves for the presence of God who is already here in the being of the Holy Spirit. How do we prepare for the arrival of royalty that is already so intimately present that the presence is closer than a spandex bodysuit? How does one prepare for the arrival of someone who is already here?  Is there a wilderness in which we need to prepare the way?

Have you ever visited someone and stood at their door and pressed and pressed the doorbell… and no one came to the door. So you knock, knock, and knock some more, but no one answers. Finally, someone comes to the door, and they apologize that they didn’t hear you, or they were tied up on a telephone call or doing some chore.

God is present, intimately present, but often we don’t get around to opening the door. William Holman-Hunt’s famous “Light of the World” painting shows Christ holding a lamp while knocking on a door that is partially covered by undergrowth. The painting is dark and brooding. There is no knob on the outside of the door. That door represents the door to our hearts, and it can only be opened from the inside, by us.

Advent is door time. Advent is answering the doorbell time. Advent responds to the knock on the door time. The door to our hearts is an impediment to the Lord’s highway in the wilderness of our lives. Advent is a time to open the door and clear away the undergrowth. Yet, we are challenged by how our market-driven culture utilizes Advent. This season of preparing the way of the Lord has also become the most important economy-pumping period of the year. As saturated as we are with messages of the marketplace the rest of the year, Advent has become the Super Bowl of marketing message saturation.

How will we hear the knock at the door, let alone be prepared to open it? A few suggestions to set as priorities above secular demands: Utilize one of the many excellent Advent devotionals available. Set aside time for morning and evening scripture reading, prayer, and meditation. Observe the daily tradition of an Advent wreath or calendar with family members or friends. Begin Christmas morning with morning prayers or in church. At every meal throughout Advent and Christmas, offer a grace particularly acknowledging specific blessings the Lord provided that day.  Bring a family member or a friend to church. Look for someone to help generously and anonymously. Make time for silent attending to the Lord’s presence.  KNOCK, KNOCK….KNOCK, KNOCK