During this Advent, my home church, back in Zagreb, held a sermon series called Christmas Waiting Room. Well, the waiting is finally over; we can step out of that in-between that most of us don't like very much. Our Saviour has been born, and we can rejoice because nothing will ever be the same again, right?
Well, yes and no.
Yes, because the birth of that baby signified a divine breakthrough, God's intervention on behalf of all humanity and creation. Yes, as we will rightly celebrate the consummation of that first waiting period, the moment when Son of God decided to enter this world.
But, also no. No, because the Christian faith is based on the conviction that the second Advent will be at least equally groundbreaking as the first. No, because we should not forget that rejoicing over God becoming one of us is only a part of the Christmas story. Only hope in the second coming of Christ can infuse our lives with faithful anticipation. Admitting that the story of Christmas is not completed keeps us from missing out on the ultimate meaning of incarnation.
To stop at the first Advent would be dangerous and wrong, especially in today's world where so many suffer and despair over their loved ones being displaced, tortured or killed. For so many victims of oppression or persecution, the first Advent means almost nothing without the hope of the breakthrough that the second Advent will bring.
Yes, the first period of waiting ended with a divine breakthrough. But the blood of the innocent ones, the suffering of the weak, the pain of the disabled, and frustration of the powerless can only be redeemed if the second and final breakthrough is still coming. As we celebrate these days, let us not forget that the final breakthrough is yet to come. And then live on like we actually believe that!