While today's mass was about preparation and the voice of John the Baptist calling out in the wilderness, it is the above line from the second letter of Peter that sticks in my mind. What is time to the timeless? So many people do not believe in God because when they asked for something, it wasn't delivered in that moment. They forget that God's ways are not our ways, that His perspective is completely different from ours. He can examine every aspect of every moment and yet still comprehend the movement of millennia. Omniscient, knowing everything, and still He created us and allowed us the freedom to become imperfect. He loves us eternally, a concept that even the most devoted cannot entirely understand.
Prepare the way of the Lord ... . In this season of Advent, God teaches us the ideas of patience and preparation, two keys to success in nearly every endeavor. It is so hard to be patient. We have so many needs that need to be met now, not at some unknown time in the future. It is so hard to prepare. With all of the distractions of life around us, we don't want to take the time to make certain that everything is ready for the events ahead.
People complain about Christmas music playing before Halloween, but I'm even a little concerned about it playing now. Christmas isn't for another 18 days. This is the time for us to get ready. Don't get me wrong: I'm still listening to and singing Christmas music during this time of year. However, we need to make certain that those same decorations and songs are being seen and sung during the season (not just the day) of Christmas. We need to be patient. He is coming, and He's coming soon (be it a day or a thousand years). Now is the time to prepare.