In the liturgical readings for Advent, we hear of the end times, the end of the world, the Apocalypse, which is often depicted in dramatic imagery. The signs described by Jesus are meant to help us recognise the approaching fulfilment of the Kingdom of God:
 

“And he told them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and the other trees; as soon as you see them sprouting leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, you know that the Kingdom of God is near.’”
 

This comes at the end of the so-called ‘End Times’ discourse, which begins with some people asking about the exact time of the end of the world. A question that has been asked time and again ever since, and just as often attempted to be answered, for example through calculations or by reference to the Mayan calendar. Yet Jesus does not answer the question; he does not specify an exact time. He does, however, say that there will be signs in nature and culture by which the nearness of the fulfilment can be recognised – just as the changing of the seasons is heralded by the leaves on the trees.

The question of the timing is not the decisive one, for what Jesus repeatedly emphasised holds true: the Kingdom of God has already drawn near, through him. This presence can already be felt even now, and so it is fitting that precisely these texts, which speak of the end of the world, are read in preparation for Christmas. For the birth of Jesus, the Incarnation of God, is surely the clearest sign we have of the nearness of the Kingdom of God.

We celebrate this incarnation of God in the little child in the manger at Christmas, and Christmas itself, the atmosphere associated with it, and the Christmas classics can be signs of the nearness of the Kingdom of God: Christmas decorations transform bare concrete wastelands into blooming, colourful seas of lights. An Ebenezer Scrooge becomes the happiest and most helpful person in town, and the one who was previously blind to the suffering of his fellow human beings now sees the opportunities to help them. The existence of a George Bailey, believed to be lost, is saved by the love of his fellow human beings, and he is able to find new courage. The cold heart of an English Earl is set ablaze with love and thus gains new strength and a new will to live. All this points to a special nearness of the Kingdom of God.

Let us use this Advent season together to create this special atmosphere and thus see the Kingdom of God drawing nearer.

Oscar Cuypers