Jeremiah 33:14-16
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
I wonder what you will think of when I mention these 4 numbers. And these four numbers are 2012.
Well, some of us may think that it is 4D number and might want to try our luck.
For some of us, 2012 is a movie, which is currently showing.
For those of us who have seen the movie, we will know it’s about the end-times, with catastrophe and devastation, worst than some kind of a nuclear disaster.
And there is this haunting line in the movie trailer: You have been warned.
Anyway, 2012 is about the year 2012, which is like 2 or 3 years away.
But we are not scared or frightened.
As we sit back comfortably and watch the movie, we will be impressed by the CGI (computer generated imagery) movie effects.
There is the aircraft carrier being rolled over by the tidal waves, massive earthquakes and skyscrapers tumbling, there is even a scene in which the dome of St Peter’s Basilica is being washed away by the waves.
But it is just a movie with good impressive effects. A must watch, if got time.
It is some kind of apocalyptic movie, but we are not going to be frightened or scared, even though it says: You have been warned.
At times I wonder if coming for Mass is like coming for a movie.
We come to church, we walk down the aisle, we go to our favourite seat, we sit back in air-con comfort.
Very much like going for a movie, isn’t it?
Then we hear some kind of end-of-the-world and out-of-this-world dooms-day message.
But we are not alarmed, we are not frightened, we are not scared even.
And what’s all that got to do with our Xmas preparations?
The world out there seems to be more prepared for Xmas.
Orchard Rd is dressed up to the hilt, the Xmas light-up this year was earlier than usual, on the radio Xmas carols are like the top 10 songs.
So while the world is preparing for a festive holiday, the Church on this 1st Sunday of Advent seems to be preparing us for dooms-day.
So strange, so out-of-touch, and every year it is like this :
1st Sunday of Advent, it is about devastation, and nothing about Xmas celebration.
So what is the meaning of all this? What is the religious meaning of the 1st Sunday of Advent?
Well, a calmer, more sober reflection of the gospel message is this.
And that is, the impermanence of the things of this world. In other words, nothing is permanent, everything is temporary, everything is passing on.
Well, the Xmas decorations and the lights we see now, will have to be taken down very soon after Xmas.
The Xmas carols that are flooding the airwaves will soon fade off and fade out, in fact almost immediately after Xmas day.
And not just the decorations and the lights and the carols.
Life is also passing on, and moving towards the final destiny, moving on towards God who is Everlasting.
So the gospel message is not about doom and gloom.
In fact it is about Vroom … Vroom! That’s the sound of acceleration, the sound we get when we throttle the engine of a car or motorbike.
We want to prepare to celebrate Xmas so that we can move on and move forward.
The celebration of Xmas is the celebration of one promise that was fulfilled 2000 years ago.
The celebration of Xmas is also the renewal of another promise yet to be fulfilled.
So Advent is to remind us of this 2nd promise and to prepare us for the fulfillment of this promise.
The gospel characters like Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah, were told of the 1st promise of the coming of the Saviour, and they saw its fulfillment.
In today’s gospel, we are told of the promise of the 2nd coming of Christ.
So we have been told, we have been warned. So are we prepared?
On this 1st Sunday of Advent, we bless the Advent wreath and we light the 1st candle.
Why the Advent wreath, and why must it be made of evergreens like holly and fir.
The story has it that the trees of the forest were told to stay awake till the rising of the sun.
As the night drew on, some trees dozed off. As the night went deeper, some trees fell asleep.
By the time of the first rays of the rising sun, the only trees still awake were the cedar, the pine, the spruce, the fir, the holly and the laurel.
So these trees were blest to be evergreens and to be guardians of the forest.
In the seeming dead of winter, when the rest of the trees lose their leaves and sleep, the evergreens keep watch with their green leaves and they are the visible signs of life in the dead of winter.
In the blessing of the Advent wreath, we are reminded that like the evergreens, we are called to be on the watch for God’s promptings around us.
And that is why the Advent wreath is circular, to symbolize that God is eternal and everywhere.
We are also reminded to be signs of life and love in a world that just wants to go on a eat-drink-sleep and rush cycle.
I would like to share with you how people often sleep-rush through life.
The place was Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. A man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about an hour.
During that time, approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later, the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes later, a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes later, a 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pulled hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time.
This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
45 minutes later, the musician was still playing continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 people gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
1 hour later, he finished playing and then silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
What no one knew that day was this - the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world.
He played one of the most intricate musical pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 a piece.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in that metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
The questions raised were: in a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One question for reflection is this :
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.....
How many other things are we missing?
So maybe, let us begin our Advent preparation by just looking and reflecting on the Advent wreath.
Let us see in it the sign of God’s eternity and encircling presence among us.
May the evergreens also remind us to be signs of life and light to others.
May it also remind us to be alert and on the watch for God’s promptings during this period of preparation.
Otherwise we might just sleep-rush through Xmas, right through to 2012, and may not even be awake in eternity.