Advent is difficult.

It gets overlooked because of Christmas- the whole mess of it. The shopping, the lights, decorations, songs, and Hallmark movies.

If you’re Catholic and feel like a phony during Advent, join the club. The puny Advent wreath on the table pales in comparison with the five-setting electric tree in the corner. Did I mention the plug-in train underneath the tree?

For years, my family would roll out the standard Advent wreath, bought from the store. The candles would lean and pop out of their spots. Sad when I think of it compared to the time and money we invested in the tree and its trimmings.

Compare Advent to the liturgical season of Lent and once again, it gets second fiddle. Lent, after all, invites us to fast and sacrifice. That feels tangible, solid and somehow more “real” than Advent. There’s a challenge to it.

Finally, Advent is a problem because it entails the glorification of waiting. I don’t know about you but my desire to wait is near close to the bottom of the list of favorite things.

So what are we to make of Advent?

Simply asking the question is a good start. You’ll likely not find a definitive answer and perhaps that’s the point. Advent, while surely a prelude to the birth of Christ, is also a powerful time to sanctify our waiting. Waiting for the WiFi signal to improve. Waiting for your next pay check. Waiting for the cup of coffee to brew. Waiting for God to say something to you in your morning time of prayer. Waiting…

Advent is a problem for sure but it may be exactly what we need in a culture of immediacy.