“I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.”
(Winston Churchill)

After waking from my carbohydrate coma this morning, I couldn’t wait to hear Vince Guaraldi. I am a sucker for holiday music, and the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack is, of course, my favorite.

And this season is, of course, my favorite. Call it Christmas, call it The Holidays, call it Hanukkah, whatever makes the most truth for you.

I prefer to call this season Advent. Yes, I’m striving to be a student/follower of Jesus, so this makes sense. But when I see the term Advent, I think of much more than the specific story of Jesus coming into the world; I like to think of this season as the Advent of all Good. Now is the Advent of Hope. Now is the Advent of Love. Now is the Advent of Gratitude, Kindness, Forgiveness, and Joy. And dare I say it, in the wake of a global terrorism panic, now is even the Advent of Peace.

None of these will come into our world with ease-they each take cooperation, and yes, even conflict, to break through into our lives. It is hard work to remain optimistic that The Good is striving to enter the world. Maybe that’s how we should think of it, as a struggle. The Good is battling its way into our world, and it needs our cooperation and optimism to make it.

It’s an Advent-ure.