Waiting for a Savior

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year C
Micah 5.1-4a Psalm 80 Hebrews 10.5-10 Luke 1.39-45

She had been waiting for so long. She had been waiting for a child of her own and had almost given up hope in her old age. But she had also been waiting for a savior, a Messiah, who would bring her and her people hope and salvation. And now, word had come down the road that her kinswoman, Mary, was going to be visiting her. And so she waits for the visit of this dearly-loved woman. For Elizabeth, life had been marked more than anything else by waiting, hoping, praying. And all of a sudden, the time of fulfillment was at hand.

Most of us can identify with Elizabeth, at least with her experience of waiting – it seems like that’s all we do, sometimes. In a world of busyness and frantic work, we wait for times of silence and rest. When money is scarce and jobs are being lost, we wait for better times and the offer of a new job. When loved ones are off at war or at school or at work, we wait for them to come home again. When war and terrorism are all too real, we wait for peace. Most of the time, our waiting is fulfilled, and whatever it is we are hoping for or expecting comes to pass. But not always. There are times when the reliable income source never returns or the child who is gone from us never comes home. And we are faced with a new reality, one that we didn’t plan for and that we don’t really want. And even in this, we wait; we wait for things to get better.

Too often, we look to ourselves or other people to fill the void in our lives or solve the problems that we are facing. But it doesn’t always work. And when we realize that we are helpless to do anything about the situation we find ourselves in, the hopelessness and despair can seem too much to endure. But we are not meant to solve all of our own problems. We are not expected to be the savior of the world. From the day that Mary gave birth to her child, the waiting and the hopelessness of human existence came to an end. The ups and downs of daily living will always be with us, our lives will continue to be marked by both joys and trials; but the fruit of Mary’s womb, the child born in Bethlehem, can and will fulfill all our hopes and desires. If we put our lives in his hands, he will shepherd and guide us with love and compassion. If we abandon our plans, our dreams, our desires to his will, then our lives will be complete and fulfilled. If we can recognize Christ in each movement of our lives, then we will know with Mary and Elizabeth that the waiting of the world has come to an end. And in case we have forgotten or turned away from him, this week is an annual reminder: A Savior has been born for us. We are not in charge of our lives or our relationships or the world – He is, and He will not disappoint us. If only we focus on Him.