Advent’s Three Time Zones

“Maranatha” is often translated as “our Lord comes,” which is as unfortunate as reducing Christmas to Jesus’ birthday party. This Aramaic word captures “three times zones” that Jesus came, He’s here, and He’s coming again.

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol famously illustrates these three “time zones” through the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. He narrates the Christian vision that even the most Scrooge-like person among us can experience a change of heart. Dickens offers a compelling commentary on greed, grace, sacrifice, and second chances.

More to the Story.  Dickens’ faith is as well documented as his struggles with scarcity, the Scriptures, and the Church. With seven siblings, Dickens’ father even ended up in debtor prison! It’s been suggested Dickens fixated on Jesus’ Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, and A Christmas Carol is his retelling it because he didn’t like the ending! Decide for yourself. What we can all relate to are the “ghosts” of past regret, present tensions, and longing for something better.

The Rest of the Story. “We need to hear the message of Christmas in the full harmonic of the trinity; the ‘surround sound’ of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Who Was, Who Is, and Who is to Come,” says friend and futurist Leonard Sweet. Presently, we are both home and away at the same time. The kingdom is here, but not fully. It’s available but not automatic. It means that we live in the tension of being saints AND sinners, wounded AND well at the same time. We believe AND struggle with unbelief. We can do nothing, AND we can do all things! We are lost AND found. The beauty of Advent reframes our “ghosts” to the goodness of abiding in Christ. It reframes Christmas as a static holiday or simply a 2000-year-old birthday party. Advent aligns the three “Time Zones” that Jesus came and is with us. The hope that he is coming again means brokenness is not the final word, but God’s Story is still enfolding!