By Joshua Cooley
Reading the daily headlines is a wearisome task.
Each day seems to bring more death, destruction, pain, and suffering around the world—and close to home. Violence, oppression, insurrections, wars, global catastrophes, shattered relationships, and personal tragedies remind us that brokenness is everywhere. Such is life in a fallen world. No one said it would be easy. But goodness, it can be a lot to bear.
And here we are, in an annual season of celebration and reflection. As Advent candles glow, the world seems to burn. What are we to make of this bitter dichotomy? How do we properly observe sacred moments amid pervasive brokenness?
We look heavenward, and we hope. Is this not what Advent is all about? Hope for change. Hope for peace. Hope for salvation https://rusbank.net/offers/microloans. Hope for a kingdom far better than the one in which we groan.
Two thousand years ago, hope incarnated in a Near Eastern cattle trough. Quietly. Humbly. Powerfully. The eternal Son of God took on flesh as a baby to save His people from their sins.
Yet brokenness remains. It’s everywhere. It infects the ground we walk on and the air we breathe. It lurks outside our doors and wages war in our hearts. Our very bones cry out from under its weight.
Ahhh, but wait! The story is not over. Christ’s first advent wasn’t the final chapter. It was the miraculous climax that foreshadows a future denouement beyond anything we can imagine. If you thought the first act was good, wait ‘til you see the second! As the old hymn says, Jesus brings “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.”
Shortly before going to the cross, Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world….If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here” (John 18:36).
All earthly kingdoms fail. But not the one from heaven! By conquering sin and death, Jesus Christ now rules “far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:21). And one day, He will return in glory to renew creation and establish His everlasting kingdom, one that “will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44). No more death. No more destruction. No more pain. No more suffering. What a glorious day that will be!
Until then, we wait. This is the hard part. Brokenness remains. Weariness assails. Sadness gnaws. But as citizens of the kingdom of heaven, we do not wait as dreamers or wishful thinkers. We wait as those whose hope is secure in the eternal, conquering King.
So lift up your head, weary traveler. The King is coming back. He is coming to vanquish evil. He is coming to restore all things. He is coming to call us home.
Until that day, He bids us to wait patiently. Prayerfully. Expectantly. Hopefully.
Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus.
Mike
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