The first week of Advent draws our attention to the “day of the Lord,” the ultimate triumph of God. On that day, God “will be gracious to you when you cry out, as soon as he hears he will answer you.” In the Hebrew Bible the day of the Lord is described in agricultural terms: rain for the seed, rich wheat harvests, pasture for the flocks, silage for the cattle. Most of us are not farmers so those images do not resonate. If we were going to describe the “day of the Lord” what words would we use? Perhaps on that day: the children are well educated, the planet is treated with prudence, the poor are given new opportunities, immigrants are welcomed. Why not today?
