Come, Lord Jesus: Longing for Jesus’ return this Advent

In this season of Advent, the Church doesn’t just look back to the birth of Jesus in a stable, but forward to Christ’s second coming, says Rt Rev Dr Jill Duff 

I love the Far Side cartoons. My favourite depicts Middle-aged Woman opening the door to two smartly dressed men who ask her: “Have you found Jesus?” Off to the right you can just about spot a man in sandals and a white robe hiding behind her curtains.

Advent simply means ‘coming’ – the arrival of Jesus. At Christmas, we instinctively focus on his first coming, as a baby in a stable, surrounded by shepherds, angels, a star and some wise men. In contrast, Jesus’ second coming is often the butt of our cheesy Christian jokes. Who hasn’t been in a sluggish church meeting where someone quips: “You never know, Jesus might return first”? His return is quietly consigned to never-never land, somewhere over the rainbow.