Advent and the Coming of Christ
Here is my new piece for Good Faith Media, “Advent and the Coming of Christ”. In this special season, it is still painful to see what is happening in Gaza and in Palestine, the birthplace of Jesus.
Advent and the Coming of Christ
by Grace Ji-Sun Kim | Dec 13, 2024 | Feature-, Opinion
Advent is a sacred season, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for Christ’s arrival. This four-week period invites believers to meditate on the profound themes of hope, peace, love and joy. It is a time to reflect on the mystery of Christ’s incarnation and look forward to Christ’s ultimate return.
Yet, this Advent season, as we reflect on the significance of Christ’s birth, we must also turn our attention to the land of his nativity—Bethlehem, nestled within Palestine—and the cries of its people amid the harrowing realities of war and injustice.
Bethlehem, the humble town where Jesus was born, remains a poignant symbol of hope in the midst of oppression. Today, Palestinian Christians are speaking out against the Genocide that the U.S. is participating in and asking the world to help stop this.
Palestinian theologian Munther Isaac reminds us that Christ is found under the rubble. Christ was not born the king that we expected in the world, but the baby who is found among the dispossessed, disenfranchised, broken, murdered, grieving and brokenhearted.
In this, he echoes the truth of Advent: that the Messiah comes not as a worldly conqueror but as a child born into poverty, solidarity and vulnerability.
Western Christianity must grapple with its complicity in the current crisis.
As bombs fall on Gaza and survivors succumb to starvation and disease, we are reminded of Christ’s own words: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40).
We must recognize that we are part of the problem. We must urgently begin to work toward dismantling the settler colonialism, apartheid and genocide occurring before our eyes in real time.
To harm the innocent is to harm Christ himself.
The global Christian community must reckon with how it has distorted the gospel, often aligning it with imperial power rather than the radical, restorative justice that Christ embodied.
As we light candles for hope, peace, joy and love during this Advent, we are called to confront the darkness in our world and within ourselves. The Christ we await did not come to sit on a throne of gold but to dwell among the poor, the marginalized, the outcasts and the oppressed.
He is Emmanuel, God with us, present in the suffering of Gaza’s children, in the bereaved families, and in the cries for justice echoing across the world.
The traditional narrative of Jesus has often been co-opted to serve the interests of the empire, turning the radical teacher from Nazareth into a symbol of worldly dominance. Yet, the true message of Christ’s life and ministry is a call to dismantle systems of oppression and to bring good news to the poor.
As Christians, we must resist the distortion of this message and seek to embody the gospel in its fullness—a gospel that stands unequivocally with the least of these.
The Christ that we worship did not come into the world to sit on a high throne and in a castle but is the one who lived among the poor, the marginalized, the lepers and the outcasts. The Christian message distorted the message and made Jesus into a Roman emperor, a European king and a Western prince.
We cannot allow the distortion of the Christian message to continue.
We must recognize the problems that Christianity has created and work to get to the heart of the Christian gospel message.
Advent is a time of preparation, not only for Christ’s coming but also for transforming our hearts and actions. It is a time to repent of how we have contributed to the suffering of others, whether through direct action, complicity, or apathy. It is a time to recommit to the work of justice, mercy, and peace.
As we move through this season, let us hold in our prayers the people of Palestine and all who suffer under the weight of injustice. Let us remember that the Christ we await is not distant but present in every act of love, every stand for justice, and every moment of solidarity with the oppressed.
In this Advent season, may we prepare the way for the Lord, not with pageantry and pretense, but with hearts attuned to his call to love and serve.
May our hope, like Christ’s, be born in the midst of suffering, and may it shine as a light in the darkness.
Special Events:
1.Please join Susan Shaw and me at the ORTLine25 Online Conference as we share our book Surviving God.
2.Homebrewed Christianity hosted by Tripp Fuller has been a constant supporter of Madang Podcast. Please sign up for their online class happening now, Rise of Bonhoeffer. Great lecturers and topics are being covered. Tony Jones was the Book Series editor of theHomeBrewed Christianity book series (Fortress Press). You can read them all, including Tripp Fuller and my book.
Amen! When we sing "O Little Town of Bethlehem" we'd do well to think about what is occurring in that very land today. Lord have mercy.