‘Tis the Season for “Hallmark”

Are you binge watching Hallmark movies? Are predictable tear-jerkers a way to relax after a day of frantic Christmas shopping? Are the movies a welcome relief from news channels? Do you find relief from Hallmark after reading the Church’s lectionary readings? What? What! In late November and some days in December the Church sets before us the signs of the end of the world. We hear of earthquakes and disasters. Panic and doom are the hallmarks that the Kingdom of God is near. What? What! Thoughts ping-pong in our brain. Disaster? No. Redemption? Yes, I guess. The human view or the God-view? Well, God’s, I hope. Advent is the time to wrap our heads around the seemingly impossible. We live in the past, the present, and the future—all at the same time. What? What! Every time is a present reality in the mind of God. And we live in God. And through the miracle of the Church Year, the lessons and reality of liturgy, we live in the past, present, and future. We’re like Scrooge who woke up after a night of ghostly visitations to realize the past, present, and future are rolled into one. (The original novel by Dickens states this clearly. You rarely find it in movie versions.) So, remember the past and learn its lessons. Live today doing kind deeds and work for justice. Look to the future with hope and gladness. The coming of God’s reign is already in our midst. Look up! The hallmark is God’s presence in every place and in every minute. What? What! Yes, God is so very close.