The question we should be asking ourselves is ‘If Jesus does return, are we ready?’

Tomorrow in churches (and homes) across the nation

(and around the world) the first Advent Candle will be lit. Despite all the lights and glitter in our town centres for weeks now the “official” approach to Christmas begins here.

Mind you, the church is in no position to criticise others for starting it all too early. Advent first appeared on the church calendar in the fourth century. Then, in the Middle Ages, the season would begin on November 11 (the feast of St Martin). While we associate the next four weeks with rushing, dashing and general panic it used to be a very different time of year.

Six hundred years ago it was all about fasting, contemplation and reflection. New converts to the

Christian faith were prepared for Baptism. The season ended on Christmas Day with feasting and celebration.

While Christians think of this time as a period to anticipate the birth of Jesus it is also an opportunity to revisit Jesus’ promise to his disciples that he would return to earth one day.

Over the years, this aspect of Christian faith has come in and out of fashion. During my teenage years there were books and films all reminding us that the return of Jesus could be any day.

The more enthusiastic would cite dates for that very return: only to look shamefaced and embarrassed as the date came and went.

I find this desire to pinpoint a time for Jesus’ coming again very peculiar. Not least because he stated, “Nobody knows the time or the day”. Now not everything Jesus said was clear but it seems to me that the phrase “nobody knows” probably simply means “nobody knows”. So why waste time in fruitless speculation?

Jesus did encourage people to prepare for this return. By this, I understand him to mean that each and every day we should be about God’s work done in God’s way. The question we should be asking ourselves is not, “Is he coming today?” but more importantly, “If he does, are we ready?”