The Lord God’s spirit is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim release for captives, and liberation for prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.   —Isaiah 61:1-2a

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The prophet Isaiah speaks of the Lord’s coming as a joyful and fulfilling event. An event that will be transformative for believers, but, as I would expect, would garner much anticipation and mystery. Isaiah tells us what great things the Lord will do, but how does one truly prepare for something so unprecedented?

My wife and I are blessed to have our son Tyler in our lives. He has taught us how to love completely and has further built our faith in God. However, missing from this photo is Owen, the newest member of our family who was born on September 19. At the time the photo was taken, another child was a hope and a prayer. We were pleased to learn shortly after Christmas that Katie was pregnant. The anticipation then set in. We all knew that the baby would bring us great joy and happiness, but what type of person would this child be? How would he change our family dynamic? In what way would having a second child serve to build upon the love we share with Tyler and our faith in God?

The Advent season invokes the feelings of hope and anticipation as we await the coming of Jesus Christ. It reconnects us with the people of Isaiah’s time and the shared belief that Jesus will bring peace and tranquility to the world. As we prepare ourselves, it is a time to reflect on the mystery of Christ and how he shapes our relationships with others and with God.

Eric Zimmerman