I’ve been thinking a lot about Advent lately: the season of waiting, of preparation, of yearning for Jesus.

Advent officially starts this coming Sunday – but for me and for so many others I know, the yearning of Advent is already present.

As much fun as the activities, calendars with chocolates,  hiding an elf and making fun crafts can be, the big goal is to keep our families focused on the true meaning of the season.

Advent is really an invitation to something deeper, something infinitely more incredible than all the memories we can make with our families in December.

You see, Jesus came into a very contentious world – a world where the followers of Yahweh were a minority, were marginalized, were threatened and misunderstood. He came into a world where those who claimed to follow the God of Abraham had widely different views of what that meant in life and even in politics. In other words, Jesus came into a world that really looked a whole lot like ours.

I think maybe we forget that. I know I have.

We forget, or maybe we didn’t really ever know, that the leaders of the church were politically motivated and willing to do whatever they could to keep their power. We forget some people were in open revolt against the harsh Roman government, even to the point of violence. We forget the cruelty, the power plays and the poverty experienced by God’s chosen people.

Maybe we need to remember.

We need to remember Jesus came into a dark and hopeless world. He didn’t come the way the political instigators and the religious powers wanted. They wanted someone who came in with strong words and a willingness to say and do whatever it took to get things fixed. They were desperate, and in their desperation they missed out on the One who brought the answers, the peace, the hope they truly needed.

We live in a time when everything seems out of control and dark. I think that’s why this year, maybe more than ever, we need Advent. We need to slow down and read the prophecies and lean into the story of this God-Made-Flesh, Emmanuel, God with us. We need to remember our hope.