4th Sunday in Advent - God's Loving Focus at Christmas

This past week, the mess and brokenness of our world became painfully real for many with the tragic shooting at Bondi Beach. Yet, even among the death, grief, tears, and anger, we see signs that God is present—revealing His love and grace through the actions of many who protect, console, and care for others.

Advent is a season of waiting and watching for Jesus in the midst of our broken world. Many of the Advent readings acknowledge the darkness around us, yet they point beyond it to the light and hope God brings through Jesus—and therefore brings the real reason for Christmas. This is the message we hear in our Gospel reading from Matthew this Sunday, when an angel says to Joseph: “Mary will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Christmas reminds us that God enters our world not to lecture or dominate, but to deal with our sin in a gracious and compassionate way.

As we live in this reality, I pray that we focus on the love, grace, and hope Christ brings to us—and through us, to many others.
  

Bishop Richard Schwedes