Most of us old enough to drive, have had had the experience of
absent-mindedly getting into our car, and arriving at a destination with no recollection of the journey. That is of course, until you have had a near miss and then you notice everything to the point of paranoia. Some things can become second nature to us, that we become inoculated from reality. We travel on autopilot.

Advent is meant to be like some great red light in your face. You stand on the brakes and take notice.

In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas time, with Christmas shopping, with the Christmas decorating, with the Christmas parties, with the Christmas concerts and music specials and the special liturgies, we often travel through the season of Advent without paying much attention to Him who we are preparing to receive.

Why are we getting ready to throw this big party on the 25^th of December? Why are we doing all this stuff? The birth of Jesus Christ. Nothing more, nothing less.

With only 14 days to go, there’s still no time. Maybe not for all the external things, but for what really counts – people and the person of Christ. Time enough to answer the question aske of John the Baptist: Who are you? Why are you here? And what are you going to do?