Family Activity

Jesus is Coming! Look Busy!

At this time of year, the Church introduces the theme of the Second Coming. The notion that the end will come soon divides people into two camps: the desperate and the complacent. The desperate wave red flags with date after date of the apocalypse. The complacent sit back and laugh when nothing happens. Many predicted "world ending" problems (remember the Y2K scare?). Yet, life went on.

Isn't there a middle ground between the two camps? Obviously Jesus did not mean to scare anyone, but he did mean to anticipate God's final judgement. A sense of anticipation, then, becomes the bridge between the desperate and the complacent. Yes, Jesus will return, but we don't know when. The best thing we can do is to live as if his return was immanent.

How can families live in anticipation of the Lord's coming? A sign on my desk gives us a key. The sign says "Jesus is coming! Look busy!" Underneath the humor lies a serious message. What we do does make a difference in the way we view Christ's coming. Are we ready or not? Do we live as if he will be here soon or not? To test your family's anticipation, make a poster with the words "Jesus is coming! Look busy!" Brainstorm ways to anticipate the Lord's coming. Use that poster as a touchstone to discuss your family's readiness.