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 This Advent season gives us cause to reflect on why Jesus’ 1st Advent was necessary for humanity to ever be restored to life as God intended.

Love doesn’t demand robot-like responses that have no connection to an actual will. God’s eternal Love given does call for a response of love in return; love that is a surrender to God’s absolute provision for mind, will emotion, body and spirit. That is what Jesus brings us into by the Holy Spirit.

The hard truth is, that in Adam & Eve, we all took our place and chose to wander away from God’s presence, believing the lie that God was not enough…we needed something more. The lie was that more knowledge was needed…but, God had not given humanity the knowledge of good and evil because we didn’t need it to be fully human; whole and complete. Such knowledge has made us less than fully human.

One result was, ever since the “fall”, humanity has been rudderless. The prevailing winds of the time have filled humanity’s sails, often to great disaster. The prevailing currents of cultures have carried humanity through periods of history, resulting in a variety of shipwrecks.

Another result is that, like some hiker, we decided to get off the clear path with a broken compass and to go our own way. Like that hiker, we have known disorientation, exposure, isolation and loss. We don’t know how to get back home.

Still another effect of the “fall” is systemic…endemic disconnection from others; even from ourselves. We search for meaning and purpose because we cut ourselves off from the Source of human meaning and purpose. Without a “True-North” we struggle with not being known and loved as we were meant to be known and loved. We find that no human being can pour into us a foundation to fill that void. Our hearts become hard, our minds hostile and our deeds take the shape of the evil we thought would give us insight an illumination.

We long for home…to have a place, to be a people, to have a purpose…a place to belong. Jesus has come to reveal to humanity that HE is our true Home. He’s coming again, soon, to take those who have believed Him into that Home. Please open your hearts and minds to believe and receive that love.




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