wfn.org | Editorial: Advent – a time to be faithful and watchful

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>3014 Edition

>November 30~December 6 2009

Editorial: Advent – a time to be faithful and watchful

>Translated by Lydia Ma

“Oh come, oh come Immanuel!” sing many Christians during  this season of Advent. This carol

is also listed in PCT Hymnal and we sing it to remind ourselves to  be watchful as we wait for

Jesus’ coming. As we celebrate Advent, our hearts are filled  with joy, expectation, and longing

because we celebrate our Lord’s birth and anticipate His  Second Coming.

Advent is a season that lasts for four weeks, culminating in  Christmas. You could say it’s the

equivalent of New Year holidays in the Christian calendar and the  reason I say this is because

during Advent, we remember Jesus’ birth, we also remember  that he lives in our hearts today,

>and we wait for his second coming.

Though the world has been turned upside down in recent months due  to national and

international financial crises erupting one after another and many  have lost their jobs in the

process, we can still celebrate our Savior’s birth with joy,  anticipation, and longing hearts if we

>look beyond these grim circumstances.

Though Jesus’ birth didn’t fix mankind’s political  and economic woes, his birth did bring

eternal salvation and food for the soul. Our hope is that this  season of Advent will remind every

person stay awake and pray. We also ask for God’s mercy as we  cope with the fallouts of the

financial crisis and pray that God will guide us out of this  ordeal.

The global financial crisis and the resulting rise of unemployment  were the results of

overwhelming debt, mismanagement, opportunism, and selfishness.  But at the root of the

problem is the greed within every human heart. Most of us just  want the easy way out and reap

life’s rewards without putting in any work. We must rid  ourselves of this consumerist mentality

fueled by insatiable wants before our global circumstances can  change for the better. As

Proverbs 13:11 advises us, “dishonest money dwindles away,  but he who gathers money little

>by little makes it grow.”

As we near the end times and the Second Coming, let’s  remember that God is kind and

doesn’t want anyone to perish. At the same time, we  mustn’t forget that God is just, and will

hold the guilty accountable for their deeds. In everything, we can  be confident that God

corrects us in kindness and for our good, and gladly offers  opportunities for us to repent and

>be saved.

Despite recent economic and political instability, so long as we  remain clear-minded, self-

controlled, prayerful, and love one another, we can be confident  this season of Advent can still

>be a joyful and hopeful holiday.

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