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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Saturday, December 14, 2002

EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH
Advent reveals real goods of season

By Thomas Geshay

People enjoy Sundays in December in a variety of ways.

Fooball jocks know "it's comin' down to the wire," and Super Bowl visions are dancing in coaches' heads.

Credit card debt mounts as Mom goes on a buying spree at the mall.

And a few folks are trying to gain spiritual perspective by lighting Advent candles in church on Sunday, unwrapping their hearts to the real gift.

Preachers are patronizing Santa, Rudolph, Frosty and the Grinch, while calling attention to the real characters of Christmas, even though no catchy tunes have been written about them.

The shepherds were not roasting chestnuts by an open fire, and Mary and Joseph were not dashing through the snow on their trip to Bethlehem.

Only the angels seem to work for some commercial purposes.

On the other hand, don't we all want a joy that lasts beyond the season? Perhaps meeting the original characters could provide that.

You know Zechariah and Elizabeth, those Jewish temple servants Dr. Luke introduces when he tells us that the temple was the cradle of the New Covenant.

And then there is their miracle son, John, the forerunner of the miracle worker born in Bethlehem.

And what about the latter's parents, Mary and Joseph? What a responsibility they had that first Christmas! They searched for more than the right gift.

Dr. Luke also tells us about an elderly couple in the temple who made some significant observations. (Can we still count on older folks to do that? Will we let them?) Simeon and Anna inspire the hope that grows out of faith.

Don't miss the joy of the real stuff of Advent. Let St. Luke guide your adventure: chapters 1 and 2 of his gospel.

The Rev. Tom Geshay is interim pastor at the First Baptist Church of Honolulu, where Christmas has been championed since 1930.

Expressions of Faith welcomes written works submitted by leaders in faith and spirituality. E-mail faith@honoluluadvertiser.com or call 525-8035. Articles submitted to The Advertiser may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms.