It happened near Naples, Italy. There was a little Italian town with a name that sounds something like Bowlwana.
It is located in an earthquake zone. Much of Italy is actually located in that self-same earthquake zone.
In 1930, fourteen hundred people were killed in a massive earthquake in that same town.
Earlier in 1908, 123,000 people were killed in earthquakes [in that region] of the world.
Yes, I said, 123,000 died.
All the seismologists said the same thing, “Be alert. Be ready. You are a fool to live here. If you had any brains, you would move away quickly. You are living in a major earthquake zone.
“But it is one of the most beautiful places on earth to live,” its residents still say…to this very day…
And then suddenly, unexpectedly, an earthquake hit. 6.8 on the Richter scale. Within thirty minutes, l400 people had died.
Italy has had nearly 250 earthquakes since August of this year! Most of which were medium strength or greater!
It was only in August of this year – that another 300 people perished…in an earthquake there.
Yes, they knew it was coming but it happened so…suddenly…so quickly…they were all unprepared!
Jesus said, “So will it be with you at the end of time. I will come like a thief in the night; like a trap that snaps shut, suddenly, quickly and you won’t be expecting it at all.
But we do not live in an earthquake zone you may be thinking to yourself…so what does this have to do with us? It has to do with preparedness. It has to do with always being ready…
I go to the hospital often. I visited a woman. She was so healthy, so vigorous, so strong. She said, “I’ve never been sick a day in my whole life. What am I doing in this place?” It’s crazy…who would have expected this?
Yesterday, she was so strong; today she is so weak; and tomorrow, she will be gone. She will be dead. It happened so suddenly She wasn’t expecting it. No one usually does. It happens again and again…over and over – it repeats itself.
Jesus said, “And so the end will come suddenly – unexpectedly, like a thief in the night; like a trap that snaps shut. So quickly…unexpectedly…
It is with these images in mind that we approach the gospel lesson for the First Sunday of Advent.
The theme for the First Sunday of Advent is always the same: be ready, be alert, be ready at all times to meet your Maker because suddenly, the end of all history is going to be here.
Or at very least, suddenly, the end of YOUR history is going to be here; the end of “my story” as I know it to be, is going to be here. The invitation for you and me today is to be ready, is to be ready at all times, to meet God face to face.
We are to be prepared…always prepared…even if, others are not…
Years ago this “meeting God thing” was supposed to be something very scary…your very soul was considered to be in jeopardy…you were to be shaken…
I actually look forward to it, I long for it…I pray it will happen…sooner rather than later.
We are supposed to always have our lives in order.
We are always supposed to be ready!
Is your life in order today, right now, in this moment of time? Have you taken care of YOUR business? All your business? What are you waiting for?
Do you live with the assurance that “you are a child of God,” that if you died today, that you would know for sure, without a trace of doubt that you will be with God forever and ever – amen?
This readiness is a confidence, an assurance, an awareness that God is gracious, that I am a child of God, that God truly knows me and who I am. I am his child. I belong to Him.
Do you know that God is gracious? Do you know that He is merciful…and full of kindness…and steadfast love?
Do you know that …That your salvation does not rest on your good behavior, your good theology, or your good denominational pedigree. None of these things will matter or will be important.
My salvation is in the hands of my God. It always has been. Do you know for sure that you are a child of God – loved eternally by your Father…and always have been…and always will be…?
You are a child of faith. You are a child of hope. You are a child of belief. You belong to him…you are His.
The season of Advent calls on us – to get ready – to be ready – to be constantly ready…and alert!
The thief comes quickly and stealthily – it is to his advantage that you be unprepared, unsuspecting, with your guard completely down…the thief wants you vulnerable, unready and totally and completely surprised.
It is not so with God…he wants you already on board with Him!