Advent Begins!

It is the first Sunday in Advent, with an apocalyptic text (Luke 21:  25-36) that seems appropriate for this time we live in.  This morning, I've spent time with the news, time with my past sketches, time with the book for my online journaling course (Joyce Rupp's Open the Door), and various Facebook posts.

I went back to the Gospel text and these passages leapt out at me.  Verse 25 seems very prophetic for our times:  "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves."

Perhaps people who don't live by a coastline would read this differently, but we do seem to live in a time where nations are confused by the roaring of the sea.

I'm thinking about apocalyptic times, both the time of the Roman empire when Jesus lived and our own time.  I've spent a lot of time thinking about whether we're living in Poland or Berlin in 1938, but perhaps comparing our time to first century Rome would be more appropriate.   First century Palestine as one of a widening chasm between rich and poor, with not much of a middle class in between.  In some ways, we live in an interesting combination of first century Roman empire and Depression era 20th century as despots and thugs gained power.

The Message gives this interpretation of the first 2 verses:  "It will seem like all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking."

I confess that I like the original better.  But later in the passage, The Message translates perfectly:  "But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t go to sleep at the switch."

Every year at Advent, I have this wish, along with various strategies:

This year, I plan to keep with my visual journaling practice.  Last night, I made this sketch along with this haiku-like creation:

I've also spent time this morning reading my past blog posts at the beginning of Advent.  How interesting to have a public record in this way.

So my morning hasn't been exactly contemplative--I've been jumping around too many internet sites for that.  But at least they've been sites that are somewhat connected to my quest for Advent insight.