Last Tuesday night we drove down to Florida to spend Thanksgiving with my family. We packed Priscilla and myself, four kids, and a dog for the 9-10 hour drive to Jensen Beach. It was the first time in a while that we had made the trip with all of us in one vehicle... now I remember why!
Large quantities of questionable coffee helped get us there. Along the way I realized that the "are we there, yet?" queries of children aged 24,21,20, and 14 aren't much different (or less frequent) than when they were 14,11,10, and 4!
On any long journey "are we there, yet" can express the frustration of cramped quarters and weariness. "Are we there, yet?" can also express the eager anticipation of reaching the desired destination.
As we enter the Advent season we are reminded that life and faith are journeys. As the holiday season seems to begin earlier each year some of us will just be ready to have it over with by the time Christmas arrives. There was a time, especially for baptists, that the introduction of advent themes to worship was a way of "stretching-out" the emphasis on the gift of Christmas. Maybe now it disciplines us in its focus/limit to four Sundays.
May advent force us to ask ourselves the "are we there, yet?" question as we eagerly anticipate the gifts of the season.
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