Advent - a word from Donald Miller

This past Sunday began a time of expectant waiting for Christ - remembering and celebrating the inbreaking of his Kingdom at his birth and expectantly waiting for his return, at which time he will complete the redemption and restoration of his creation. Over the next month I will try to post some different voices who will help remind us of the cosmic significance of this season as we deal with all the craziness that is Christmas.

Here is a word from Donald Miller:

My friend Heather Thomas told a story recently in a talk she gave about being in Africa and climbing to the top of a water tower on Christmas Eve. In the place that she was, local villagers would build fires and begin to beat drums in anticipation of the coming of the Christ. And only on Christmas Eve would the usual talk and banter that took place around African campfires turn to singing. How great it must have been for Heather to sit atop the water tower and hear the singing of her brothers and sisters, fellow citizens of a Kingdom that had been anticipated but now was. Her telling that story reminded me of the many prophets, who for hundreds of years would beat the drums of faith in anticipation that a King (A good King) would some day come and govern His people in charity, truth and grace. It made me feel very blessed and privlaged to be on the other side of those drums, to be able to sing our songs having experienced the coming of the King, who came to earth as a man to fulfill the promise of the prophets, and to make a kingdom in our hearts and in our communities.

The Bible tells us that if we love God we will obey Him. I have often struggled, in my disobedience, with the thought that I love God and yet do not obey Him. But I think I had a narrow, Hollywood understanding of love. I thought to love was to feel (exclusively) a kind of romantic or mushy feeling about God. And sometimes this is true. But as a man I’ve found this emotion difficult to sustain. But when I think of a more wholistic understanding of love (As my friend Emerson Eggerichs defines it as more than mushy romanticism, going so far as to include the sentiments of respect and honor) then I find it much easier and motivating to understand Christ as my King, and to honor my King in my actions. We all need a leader, and a truly noble feeling comes over us as we express our loyalty in
corageous obedience.

As we prepare for the Christmas season, may our hearts resonate the drum-beats of the prophets of old, and may our songs celebrate the King who has come. As Heather Thomas reminded us during our talk, God has told us our story, and if we believe and change our hearts, His story will change everything within us. Our King has truly come, even as a baby, and made His home with us to declare Himself as our King, to usher in the coming of His Kingdom, and to go and prepare a land for us even as He did with the Israelites. May we, who have been grafted into His Kingdom, find a renewed vision for loyalty to Him for coming to save us and guide us in charity, grace and truth. May we get caught up in His story, believe that it is true, change as a reaction to that belief, and get ourselves and our families caught up in that beautiful story.