Jesus Matters, Hope is an Option: Advent 2025

Posted on November 30, 2025 by Brian H. Gill

Today is the first day of Advent. Among many other things, this season is a good time for remembering that hope is always an option: no matter what’s going wrong at the moment.

Celebrating the Moment When God Became One of Us

Photo taken by a member of the ISS Expedition 53 crew: '...the sweep of the coastline of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The cluster of lights at image center includes the major population centers of the Levant. The brightest lights are the cities of Tel Aviv in Israel, Amman in Jordan, and Beirut in Lebanon.....' (September 28, 2017)
City lights by the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Photo from the ISS. (2017)

My culture doesn’t have a seasonal phrase like “Jolly Advent!”, which may explain why I could buy Advent calendars, but not Advent cards.

For me, and quite a few other folks, today is the start of Advent. It’s a pretty big deal, which is one reason this household has an Advent calendar. It’s the same one we’ve used for I don’t know how many years.

As for why Advent matters, it’s when we get ready for celebrating that moment in time when God became one of us. As I said, it’s a pretty big deal.

Pope St. John Paul II talked about that, and some current events, in 1998. Here’s a link to that, and some other resources:

Advent, Christmas, and Jesus: a Very Quick Review

Carl Bloch's 'The Shepherds and the angel' (1879)
“The Shepherds and the Angel”, Carl Bloch. (1879)

Because this is Advent, I’ll be getting ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus: the man who is God, whose birth was announced by otherworldly beings, who died and then stopped being dead, and who offers forgiveness and life to anyone who accepts him.

Again: it’s a pretty big deal.

I’ve talked about that, why we need a Savior, and what’s happened over the last two millennia, before:

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About Brian H. Gill

I was born in 1951. I'm a husband, father and grandfather. One of the kids graduated from college in December, 2008, and is helping her husband run businesses and raise my granddaughter; another is a cartoonist and artist; #3 daughter is a writer; my son is developing a digital game with #3 and #1 daughters. I'm also a writer and artist.
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2 Responses to Jesus Matters, Hope is an Option: Advent 2025

  1. The Overlord Bear says:
    November 30, 2025 at 14:31

    I’m feeling pretty burdened lately, so thank you very much for the reminder about how Advent emphasizes hope, Mister Gill.

    Reply

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