Advent is a time when we Prepare the Way in our hearts for the arrival of the Messiah. It is alive with a sense of restoration and stirring with the hope of redemption. It is heavy with the longing for God to rescue us and bring us back to himself. In our culture, the Christmas season is often associated with a fast paced sense of hurry. The holiday rush, they call it. Inevitably, we will feel the tension of impatient shoppers and hectic schedules. But the Christian embrace of Advent is a counter-cultural act of intentional patience. We wait. We hope. Resisting the urge to rush ahead to the manger, we enter into the story of Israel and share their longing for a Savior.