Joyful in hope
Assembly General Secretary Colleen Geyer offers the third of four Advent reflections
December 12, 2023
By Colleen Geyer, Assembly General Secretary
Sometimes joy is hard to find. Difficult to feel in your bones. However, at this time of year, this reality is not easily shared.
There may be an expectation of joy. There’s the wonder of the birth of Jesus, the thrill of angels, the warmth of shepherds and visitors from the east. Nativity scenes of all shapes and sizes sit on our window sills, beside our Christmas trees, in our churches and our public spaces.
The media beams out advertisements of largesse, plenty, too much. In the southern hemisphere, we also have sunshine, sparkling blue skies, heat and light.
But that is not all that is present in our world or in our lives.
"I can sit quietly, without the sounds of gun shots disrupting my community, or missiles falling on the apartment block in which I live."
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe to our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.
After all this year has brought, I find myself craving moments of stillness. And in these moments, I experience a deep sense of gratitude. But I am in a privileged position and I need to own this.
I can sit quietly, without the sounds of gun shots disrupting my community, or missiles falling on the apartment block in which I live.
I can have my morning cup of coffee looking at green spaces, not wondering where my next bottle of water will come from while staring at rubble, or from the back seat of my car which is home to me and my children.
I can look forward to laughter and the happy faces of my family on Christmas day, instead of grieving for those I have lost in war, or in family and domestic violence.
I think of the characteristics of a person who is a new believer of the one they call Jesus Christ in Romans 12. In this, believers are not called to be joyful alone. In verse 12, we are called to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. These words resonate with me at the end of this year. As people of faith, we also have hope and in that we can glimpse joy. But we are also asked to be patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. At times, prayer is all there is, and there is no other option but to wait.
In Advent, we wait. In Advent, we pray. In Advent, we look for joy.
Yes, at times joy is hard-won. It lurks around the corner though, in our lives, coming into view unexpectedly, tugging a gentle smile. In connections, in a story, in a few minutes of peace, in the laughter of a family member or a friend, in a thought that offers hope. These are the joyful moments worth looking for and for which I am deeply grateful.
Prayer
God of gentle love
Show yourself to us in this Advent season
In times of stillness, remind us of the joy of your gift to us
As we gather with community, hold us close to your faithful presence
When prayer is all there is, help us to be constant
We are your people
And you are our God.
Amen