With Love From The Chapel – Michaelmas Term Week 11

“Who do you think is more likely to survive in a Zombie apocalypse – you or me?’

My day today started with this indubitably relevant question from my son to my daughter. Given they are both teenagers I thought the times of these kinds of questions had passed – but what do I know?

The sister just shrugged her shoulders with the apparent conviction that she would most definitely survive longer, while her brother was mentally ‘getting ready’ for said apocalypse. 

I found myself contemplating what exactly a ‘Zombie apocalypse’ might look like, when arguably there might have been more important things to worry about. House Singing, for example (maybe not unlike a zombie apocalypse), and finding all the decorations to get the house and chapel ready for Advent. 

We get so excited about preparing for Advent and Christmas – finding the right tree, untangling the lights, trying to find that really good tree-stand in the loft and dusting off the stockings for the fire-place. And then there is card-writing and present-buying (I found out the hard way that securing a parking space amongst tense Christmas shoppers at the Trafford centre was no easier than fighting off zombies – in fact the latter sounds much more possible.)

And I ask myself if I have forgotten what I’m actually getting ready for in Advent. I love Christmas more than any other time of year, and I think all the chaos is totally worth it.  But sometimes I forget that I am indeed getting ready for an ‘apocalypse’ as well – not a Zombie one with murder and fear. But one that brings us New Heaven and a New Earth – one that Christians have been waiting for for 2000 years now – when Jesus will come again and put things right, and when zombies have lost all relevance, 

Knowing this time will come makes any apocalyptic chaos worth it.“Who do you think is more likely to survive in a Zombie apocalypse – you or me?’

My day today started with this indubitably relevant question from my son to my daughter. Given they are both teenagers I thought the times of these kinds of questions had passed – but what do I know?

The sister just shrugged her shoulders with the apparent conviction that she would most definitely survive longer, while her brother was mentally ‘getting ready’ for said apocalypse. 

I found myself contemplating what exactly a ‘Zombie apocalypse’ might look like, when arguably there might have been more important things to worry about. House Singing, for example (maybe not unlike a zombie apocalypse), and finding all the decorations to get the house and chapel ready for Advent. 

We get so excited about preparing for Advent and Christmas – finding the right tree, untangling the lights, trying to find that really good tree-stand in the loft and dusting off the stockings for the fire-place. And then there is card-writing and present-buying (I found out the hard way that securing a parking space amongst tense Christmas shoppers at the Trafford centre was no easier than fighting off zombies – in fact the latter sounds much more possible.)

And I ask myself if I have forgotten what I’m actually getting ready for in Advent. I love Christmas more than any other time of year, and I think all the chaos is totally worth it.  But sometimes I forget that I am indeed getting ready for an ‘apocalypse’ as well – not a Zombie one with murder and fear. But one that brings us New Heaven and a New Earth – one that Christians have been waiting for for 2000 years now – when Jesus will come again and put things right, and when zombies have lost all relevance, 

Knowing this time will come makes any apocalyptic chaos worth it.