21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,[i] for he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:21
Christmas time is here, but not yet. We see the lights, the traffic, the cookies, and we are in a sense living within the Christmas season, yet it is not quite the 25th. While there are definite signs of the holiday, the holiday has yet to arrive.
The same can be said for our hope. We live in what theologians call the “already, not yet” tension. We see glimpses of Jesus in this world, yet we also see the tension of sin. Jesus has both came, and is to come. While we live in the light of Christ, we still feel the ever piercing affect of sin.
Already, not yet
We are free and we’re not
We are saved and being saved
Already, not yet
It is in this tension we find ourselves, one of anticipation and agony. The Advent season teaches us a greater lesson of faith – to wait with anticipation within the agony; to imagine a life free from pain. We must learn to wait well, for it is in our waiting that God is recreating us and His presence is tasted as true.
Lord, teach us not to waste our waiting
We don’t simply have hope in Christ but faith. Hope betrays wishes while faith calls us to action. Waiting is not for the waiting room but for the ghetto. A faith that waits is one that erupts into the tension and draws others in. The Church is at its best when it operates in this tension with grace. We don’t cower in our waiting but are reborn.
Already, not yet
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