Advent does its quiet, steady work, reminding us that the chaos of now does not undo the promise of God’s love. It reminds us that Jesus has already come near, and will come near again. It reminds us to stay awake not out of fear, but out of hope—to notice the small, ordinary ways God shows up in our lives right now.
How does it feel to know something is coming, but not when? Growing up with five brothers, one of our favourite car-ride games was “punch buggy”—a chaotic mix of watchfulness, anticipation, and the occasional not-so-gentle jab. We knew a VW bug would appear eventually, but never when. So we stayed alert. Ready. Awake.
Jesus probably wasn’t thinking about car games when he spoke to his disciples about his return, yet the theme is similar: a call to attentiveness, not fear. Matthew 24 is often misunderstood as a passage of judgment, but read through the lens of Advent, it becomes something different—a promise.
Advent is the start of the church year, a season of watching and waiting for God’s presence to break in again. And we begin not with the manger, but with the end of the story: Christ will return, and God’s love will win. We don’t know when, but we know what—and that promise anchors us.
Maybe the waiting isn’t like bracing for a “punch buggy blue” sibling ambush. Maybe it’s more like watching for a beloved family member to arrive. You keep checking the clock, the window, the oven. You know the feast will be good. You just don’t know when the door will open.
Still, waiting is hard. Whether it’s the hour before a birthday party, a tense hospital hallway, or simply scanning today’s headlines, the “not yet” can feel overwhelming. We long for a world made whole. But today, we wait.
And yet—this is where Advent does its quiet, steady work. It reminds us that the chaos of now does not undo the promise of God’s love. It reminds us that Jesus has already come near, and will come near again. It reminds us to stay awake not out of fear, but out of hope—to notice the small, ordinary ways God shows up in our lives right now.
So what does your waiting feel like this year? Does it feel like another “punch buggy” blow is coming? Or like the ache of longing for something good you can’t quite see yet?
Wherever you find yourself, Advent whispers this truth: God’s love enters our waiting—today. Stay awake to it. Look for it. Share it.
The promise still holds: Love wins.