"But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father”… Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
Matthew
24:36, 42
Wake up! Be
ready! Be alert! Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the season of
preparation. In Romans 13:11 the apostle Paul writes, “Besides this, you know
what time it is, now is the time to wake from sleep.” And the Gospel of Matthew
reminds us, “But about that day and hour no one knows.” Both passages implore
us to be prepared, for we don’t know when the Son of Humanity will return. Paul
reminds us that now is the time to wake up, for we don’t want to be sleeping
when Jesus comes.
Even as we
understand these lessons to be about the second coming of Jesus, we also
understand them to be about our daily lives, today. How are we ready for
whatever comes our way? Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) is always ready to
respond when disaster strikes. Whether it is a flood, a fire, a rock slide, or
any other disaster that people may find themselves in, Lutherans are often the
first ones in after the first responders are done and we are the last out after
the long road of rebuilding. When all others have gone, LDR is there.
I am always
moved when I see stories of people helping people, and I am particularly moved
when I read about our local friends and neighbors responding to the needs of
others. Whether mucking out houses, preparing cleaning buckets with supplies,
or providing manual labor to assist, Lutheran Disaster Response-Eastern PA is
always ready. They are present after local disasters large and small. They are
the epitome of being awake and ready, a model of what we are to be in our
lives. Wake up! Be ready! Be alert!
Dear Jesus, help us to be ready for
whatever you would have us do. Keep us awake and alert to your presence in our
lives. Amen.
The Rev.
Sandra Brown is pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Bensalem, PA.
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