Uncommon Voices for the Common Good
You Are Not Alone; the Kingdom of God is at Hand
Posted: 07 Dec 2010 08:10 AM PST
As we reach the midpoint of Advent this week, society is going crazy with the frenzy of preparations for Christmas. Perhaps, like me, you find the consumerism of Christmas overwhelming.
The thought of 450 billion dollars spent (in the U.S. alone!) trying to find the right gift for the person who already has everything is nauseating. That’s over twice as much as it would take to provide clean water for everyone on the planet, nine times as much as it would take to meet President Obama’s commitment to the Global Fund and double the rate of HIV positive people receiving treatment, and 450 times as much as it would take to erase the debt of over 20 low income countries (The Jubilee Act).
Left on our own we would be overwhelmed by the demands and pressures of this world. But the good news of Advent is that we are not to be left alone. Like it or not, the Kingdom of God is approaching. There is perhaps no simpler statement of Jesus’ mission than in Mark 1:15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”