Advent – An Invitation to Hope

2021 was a year many of us HOPED for life to return to the pre-pandemic normal. But, even as the world began to open up and return to some form of normalcy, we found the once “normal” no longer seemed to work. It appeared that #pandemiclife changed us, and in some cases, we even found ourselves struggling to know where we belonged.

The celebration of Advent is an invitation to remember where we can find HOPE, even when the world feels hopeless.
Joy Marker

In the time of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, being a shepherd was considered a noble profession, but by the time of the prophets, sheep-herders had lost their status and were a symbol of social desolation. When Jesus’ birth took place, Shephards were labeled “sinners” by the religious leaders; they were a despised people.

We might imagine that being a shepherd at the time of Jesus’ birth felt like a hopeless occupation. It lacked popularity, nor did it provide much room for advancement in social status. But, even so, the angels appeared first to the shepherds announcing good news of great joy that will be for ALL the people. (Luke 2:10) The angels’ did not first visit Kings or Pharisees; they instead brought good news and hope to lowly shepherds.

While this announcement did not automatically change the social status of the shepherds, nor did it improve the poor opinion others might have held about sheep-herders, we can imagine it did provide them with hope. The shepherds likely did not understand fully the importance of what was happening. Still, we might assume they were aware that something momentous was occurring and that they, the lowly shepherds, had been invited to witness this event. They had been allowed to share this story with others as messengers of good news. What a beautiful gift that must have been for them?

As we reflect on Hope related to the Christmas story, might we consider the invitation given to the Shephards? An invitation to bear witness and be messengers of Jesus’ birth and the gift it provided of real hope. It offered hope for belonging when society told them they had no place and did not belong, giving them hope for a better tomorrow.

Maybe, like the shepherds, we find ourselves without hope. In a world where disagreements run wild, and conflict is everywhere, perhaps we have lost hope that we will ever find a safe place to belong. But isn’t that the beauty of the shepherds’ story?

The Christmas Story reminds us that there is hope,
there is hope even when things feel hopeless.
Joy Marker

Even when we have lost hope in the world, even when we feel as if we don’t belong, we can find HOPE in the invitation that the angels announced to the shepherds. That announcement to the shepherds was good news for ALL people, and even now, it is an invitation for us to find our hope in Jesus.

As we light the first candle this Advent Season, the candle that represents Hope, let’s take a moment to reflect on Hope—remembering the HOPE found in the Christmas story and moving beyond the Christmas Story and into our own lives.

As we head into this Advent season, let’s remember that Hope is more than optimism; we can easily fake optimism. Hope is more than happiness; we can always pretend to be happy. Hope can be “false hope” or “blind hope,” merely hoping that things will go our way. Or Hope can find us living with real expectations for a better tomorrow.