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Advent: The Now and Not Yet of God's Promise



Luke 3:1-6

Advent is a season of paradox. It can feel like a see-saw of waiting and arrival, promise and fulfillment. It invites us to sit in the tension between the “now” of God’s work in the world and the “not yet” of God’s ultimate restoration. Luke 3:1-6 captures this duality perfectly (as much as any of us knows anything of 'perfection'). In Luke 3:1-6, John the Baptist calls us to prepare for the coming of the Lord, proclaiming both an immediate need for action and a vision of salvation that stretches far beyond the present. God knows that the present is a dam wreck.

The “Now” of John the Baptist’s Context


Luke doesn’t waste words setting the scene. He anchors John’s ministry within the oppressive structures of his time: Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod, and other rulers dominate the political landscape, symbolizing systems built on exploitation and violence. It is no accident that John does not emerge not from these centers of power. Instead, we see him emerging from the wilderness, a place where prophets speak and change begins. Bear in mind that he is the forerunner of Jesus. This is a hint to how Jesus will show up in the world!

John’s call is urgent: “Prepare the way of the Lord.” The Messiah is coming, and the time to act is now. His message cuts through complacency, challenging the people to align their lives with God’s kingdom. This urgency reflects the “now” of Advent—the reality that God is already at work, breaking into our world through acts of justice, compassion, and repentance.


In John’s time, as in ours, the world is deeply broken - corruption in places that should provide course for healing, and among people who have the power to take life at the stroke of a pen - or the refusal thereof. And Yet! Advent reminds us that even in the wilderness of injustice and suffering, God’s presence is here, beckoning us to hear the cry out of Gaza and the global cry that Black lives matter. 

The “Not Yet”: A Vision of Full Restoration


But John doesn’t stop with the “now.” His words, drawn from the prophet Isaiah, point to a future that is still unfolding: “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” Did you hear that? All flesh - regardless to place of birth, sound of accent, sight of skin, the gender of love, or religious belief system - All flesh shall see the salvation of God - Including this flesh! This flesh and many such as mine long to see the salvation of the Lord. 

Imagine a world where inequities are leveled, barriers are removed, and God’s


embodied ad decisive salvation reaches everyone! This “not yet” speaks to the ultimate hope of Advent: the promise that God’s reign will one day be fully realized, bringing justice, peace, and healing to all creation. The sad truth is that the delay is due to human action and inaction. "We have failed to be an obedient people; We have not loved God with our whole hearts; We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts; We have not heard the cry of the needy... and the list goes on" (General Confession)

And lest we get pie-in-the-sky-ish about the fulfillment of this glorious promise, it is good to know that this hope is not passive. It calls us to act in the present, inspired by the future God has promised. The “not yet” is the courage to confront the wickedness of the world manifested in church and state knowing that our efforts are part of a larger divine story.

Living in the In-Between


Advent asks us to live in the tension between the “now” and the “not yet.” This is no small task. The “now” demands our participation in God’s work of justice, reconciliation, and transformation. The “not yet” requires more than abstract faith, patience, and trust that God’s promises will be fulfilled. It demands courageous action - like the way we vote, the silences we keep, the decisions to speak up, the structures we support, the benefits we hoard and abuse, and even the religious bats that we swing. 

Therefore, John’s call to repentance is a reminder that preparation isn’t just about waiting—it’s about action. To prepare the way of the Lord is to create spaces where valleys of inequity are filled (read wealth gap), mountains of pride and oppression are brought low (read giving tax breaks to the rich at the expense of the poor), and pathways of division are straightened (read shut up the stupidity about immigrants and other ways of othering). This work is both deeply personal and overwhelmingly communal.

The Advent journey provides eyes for us to see the places where human actions have created dryness, and the courage to act on behalf of those relegated there. 

The Advent Witness for Today

So often, the wilderness may be described as only a place of desolation. It is also a place of transformation. Today, our wildernesses take many forms: political unrest, systemic injustice, environmental crises, and personal struggles. In these spaces, prophetic voices continue to call us to prepare the way of the Lord. In my words, "Stop the wicked bs that causes hope unborn to die." 

The world is hungry for hope. So what? Feed it. Level the valleys of poverty and injustice, straighten the crooked paths of systemic racism and division, and smooth the rough ways of inequality and oppression. Do better.

The Tension of Both Hope and Action


The tension of Advent is both a challenge and a gift. It asks us to hold the “now” and the “not yet” together, to work for justice in the present while trusting in the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises. This tension is not easy...and it is holy.

Advent says that the story is not over. The valleys will be filled! The mountains will be made low! The crooked path and people will be straightened, and the rough made smooth. And all flesh—every last one of us—will see the salvation of God.

This will happen when schools are funded equitably, housing is truly fair, school


curricula become inclusive, resources for life are accessible to the most vulnerable, student debt is forgiven, or no longer sold, and interest rates are humane, the prison industry ends, dehumanizing rhetoric is rejected, earth is respected and cared for, faith is no longer weaponized, corporate exploitation ends, and when the world becomes safe for all people. Choices, choices, choices. Don't ever tell me that you do not know what to do. During Advent, we get to touch the contours of God's already presence! 


Clear the way! Jesus is coming. Jesus is here! Emmanuel!

#Advent #Hope Peace #Joy #Love #HowLongLord #PrepareTheWay #HopeInTheWilderness #NowAndNotYet #JohnTheBaptist #JusticeAndHope #AdventJourney #ScriptureAndJustice #FaithInAction #SeasonOfWaiting #GodsPromise #PropheticCall #LevelTheValleys

Born and raised on The Gem of the Caribbean (Antigua and Barbuda), I am an immigrant living in the U.S. with my Fantastic Four and High School boops.

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