There is a story about a group of tourists visiting the Vatican. Their tour guide had told them about the famed Sistine Chapel—the place where the College of Cardinals meets to choose a new pope, the room whose ornate painted ceiling is Michelangelo's masterpiece.
One aspect of the Sistine Chapel surprises most first-time visitors: its size. It's a rather small room.
One young man was so eager to see Michelangelo's painted ceiling, he dashed in one end of the Sistine Chapel and out the other. He mistook the Chapel for some kind of antechamber. The tour guide had to chase after him, saying: "Come back, you missed it -- and this time, remember to look up!"
It's the kind of mistake that's so easy to make during Advent. It's so easy to confuse Advent with a waiting room: to dash through these four short weeks, arms filled with packages, eyes cast downward. We forgert that Advent is a destination in its own right.
May heaven help us, as we find ourselves worn out getting ready for Christmas American-style, not to miss the beautiful meaning of Advent. Let’s take time to soak in the wonder and mystery of the Incarnation. Let’s pray that we’ll be drawn into the story of Jesus' coming and overcome with joy by the birth of this tiny King born to save us. To be overwhelmed by God’s goodness and love, we must remember to look up.
“And ye, beneath life's crushing load, Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road, And hear the angels sing!”
(Edmund Sears)
Johnny R. Almond
Interim Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church; Fredericksburg, Virginia
Blog http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/
Comments