Season of Advent

I love the story of Jesus’ ascension. The visual my mind conjures is hilarious. I think of Jesus going up into the clouds, and the disciples just staring up at the sky with absolutely no background music (I should mention that the disciples should look like the Mel Brooks’ disciples from History of the World). They just stare without any idea of what to do next. While they stand there gazing at the sky two men walk up. Each should be munching on something (an apple is good). They look at the sky, look at the disciples, look at the sky, look at the disciples, and ask: “Uh…Whatcha lookin’ at?”

 

“Whatcha lookin’ at?” I ask myself that a lot these days. Sometimes I get caught looking to the future. I always want to bypass all the days of waiting or the preparations and get to the good part. That means the peace talks for me these days. So much hurt and darkness has engulfed the land here, so many tears have been shed, and many fingers have been pointed at the other in fear and mistrust.

 

I want the healing now. I ask Jesus the same question the disciples asked Jesus in verse 15, “is this the time you will restore the kingdom to Israel (Israel being the figurative kingdom of God?” I see injustice, and my soul cries for an end to the violence.

The truth is, I don’t know exactly when or how peace will be forged. Just as the disciples were told by Jesus, it is not for me to know the times or periods. However, that doesn’t mean any of us get to stand staring at the sky. God has called us to witness in the world as we wait; to walk in solidarity with our brothers and sisters, be they at home or in foreign lands. We get to stand together, huddled around a single candle in the night, looking around and living in God’s world.

 

The two men in white tell the disciples to witness the world, God’s world, as they waited. We are called to that same mission as our longing and hope leads us towards Christmas.

 

One question: Whatcha lookin’ at?

 

-Kevin