I love Advent. In fact I think it is one of the most important times of the year, and it's a travesty that it is reduced to shopping, baking, card-writing, and little windows that open on disappointingly small bits of chocolate.
I also quite like facebook. I have come to it late in life, but a friend of mine moved to Australia with her horse to get married - to an Aussie not to the horse - and I was intrigued to know how you get a horse to the other side of the world. She told me (you get it a passport and stick it on a plane - how else?) and sent me to facebook to see the photos. Now I am hooked. I am catching up with all sorts of old friends.
Why am I telling you this. Well two of my friends saw a photo of me on a bike on facebook and started sharing stories of how I scared them stupid on the back of my bike almost 20 years ago. I don't remember it at all, but they seem to and now the whole world thinks I sit at 95 on the M69 scaring mates in the rain.
Advent reminds us that in the end it is not our memories of our life that count - it is someone else's, Jesus' in fact. When he comes back we are held to account for all that we have done. It's as if we have a facebook wall with all that we have done and everyone will be able to see it - warts and all. For none of us make the grade when it comes to God's perfect standards.
But here's the amazing thing - the great transaction that God offers in Christ is that we can have Jesus' page and he'll take ours - more faithbook than facebook, perhaps?
Advent is a time of hope, a time of reflection, a time to think about the eternal things of life - don't miss it this year.