On That Day

Lectionary readings in Advent and Advent hymns often speak of “that day.” “On that day” all good things will happen—peace, prosperity, plentiful food. That’s certainly worth waiting for. And so in Advent we wait, but our waiting cannot be the waiting of Charlie Brown in a pumpkin patch watching for the Great Pumpkin to arrive this year—well, maybe next year or the year after.  Our waiting includes doing our part to bring about “that day.”  How?  We make the power of God come alive in our world through our lives. We are co-creators, cooperators with God in the transformation of our world. The paschal mystery begun in the life of Jesus continues in the transformation of the world into the reign of God. A reign requires a ruler, a king. Of course, this ruler is Jesus Christ. What are we doing today to bring about peace, prosperity, and plentiful food?  Many churches, businesses, and schools conduct collections. Do not underestimate the power of a grocery bag of food and paper products to bring about “that day.” “That day” depends upon today.