“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9,10
That may seem like a strange passage to consider when commemorating Advent, the coming of Christ, but it really is appropriate when you think about Immanuel, God with us, about Whom we read yesterday. The people who were receptive to Christ's coming were those who were sincerely looking for His Kingdom to come; they were longing for God to come down and do something, so that His ways and will would prevail. They believed in a connection between heaven and earth - that the Creator really did care about His people, provide their daily bread, and forgive their sins. Where we really get into trouble is when we begin to believe there is and can be no connection: that God does not care, we're on our own, and either we do not think we can or need to be forgiven. As we sincerely anticipate Advent, we are like the writer who penned: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, who pined: "There is no peace on earth', I said." We long for what Jesus taught to pray here: that Immanuel and His Kingdom will come and rule and reign on earth.
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