“Now faith is
being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
“I consider that our present sufferings
are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for
the children of God to be revealed. For
the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the
will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be
liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of
the children of God. We know that the
whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the
present time. Not only so, but we
ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait
eagerly for our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in
this hope we were saved. But hope that
is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for
what they already have? But if we
hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” Romans 8:18-25 [emphasis mine]
“And now these
three remain: faith, hope and love. But
the greatest of these is love.” 1
Corinthians 13:13
Faith, hope and love:
Faith and hope are
temporary. They are given for while we
wait. Indeed, they exist because we wait. Their existence is dependent on the absence
of Jesus, of God-with-us. For where we
see Jesus we no longer have need for faith or hope. Where Jesus breaks into the present – made manifest
in his Body, the local church, empowered by the same Spirit that raised him
from the dead – we see fulfilments of hope, received through faith. And when we see Jesus face-to-face, in
person, we will be truly faith-less and hope-less, because both will be
completely fulfilled in him. Faith and
hope remain for now; but love is greater, because love alone is eternal, will
never be fulfilled, but experienced for ever.
Faith exists in the
very situations which would appear to deny faith. Hope exists in the very situations which
would appear to be hopeless. The
creative kingdom which is brought about by the paradox that God, in Jesus, is both with us and absent – paradox: neither truth denying or even qualifying the
other, but complementing one another
in mystery that confounds human reasoning – is the very means by which the goal
of faith and hope – their con-summation within love – will be brought about.
And
that is why Advent is all about expectant waiting, hopeful anticipation and cheerful preparation...
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