Advent is a season of waiting. We are hopeful and expectant as we look towards the coming of Christ. But this season isn’t just a time to sit idly by. It’s an opportunity to prepare ourselves so that we can receive Christ in His coming. Henri Nouwen suggests that the best way to actively wait is by believing what we await is already on its way. And it is. The Kingdom of God is coming.

So how do we prepare?

In Isaiah 2:1-5 the prophet gives the people of God a glimpse of what the Kingdom will be like when He restores His rule. It will be a Kingdom of peace, of harmony, of unity and of justice. People from all nations will flock to this place to be a part of what is happening. It is a Kingdom where grace reigns and love can do its good work. It is a Kingdom of Light where people are seen, known and accepted. It is a Kingdom where nations no longer take up weapons against each other. And it is a Kingdom we are invited to join.

Perhaps the most vivid image in the Isaiah passage is that of weapons of destruction being transformed into tools for life. Without weapons or knowledge of war, the Kingdom of God is a vulnerable kingdom.

Vulnerability gets a bad rap most of the time. But in vulnerability — when we let down our weapons and our walls — lies an opportunity for connection, for unity, for restoration, and for healing and new life.

In the Kingdom of God, we don’t have to fight for ourselves anymore.
We can lay down our weapons, let down our guard and get rid of our walls of self-protection. Why? Because we have a God settling our disputes, One who is committed to peace and fighting for justice.

So how do we prepare to become a part of the coming Kingdom?

We live like the Kingdom has come.

We lay down our weapons and let them be transformed into tools for life. We let ourselves be vulnerable — fully known and fully loved — and we put our hope and trust in the Prince of Peace who has come and is coming again.

– Victoria “Tori” Lackey
PBA Class of 2015
Program Specialist, Johnson Scholarship Foundation