As we turn over a new page on our calendars and contemplate what 2022 might look like, the reality is that, to some extent at least, this is up to us.

Advent is a time of waiting, but do we know what it is that we are waiting for? The temptation is to reach for the easy answer and say that we are waiting for Christmas. But there is more to it than this. In Advent, we are encouraged, not least by the daily lectionary readings, to focus on what are sometimes called ‘ the four last things ’ : Death , Judgment, Heaven and Hell. Advent invites us to step back from the mundane, the daily routine and to consider the big and ultimate things in life.