Good News That Lifts Our Heads

Scripture Reading: Luke 21:25–36

“When these things begin to take place, 

stand up and lift up your heads, 

because your redemption is drawing near.”

 Luke 21:28

Jesus describes a world in upheaval—distressed nations, roaring seas, and hearts fainting with fear. His words name what we instinctively feel in times of crisis: the temptation to bend inward, to lower our heads in anxiety and resignation. Yet into this very moment of chaos, Jesus issues a startling command: “Stand up and lift up your heads.” This is not denial of danger, but defiance of despair. As Walter Brueggemann reminds us, “Joy is an act of resistance against despair.” Advent joy rises precisely where fear presses hardest.

Jesus’ command calls for a radical change in posture. To stand up is a call to spiritual vigilance; to lift our heads is a deliberate turning of our gaze away from chaos and toward God’s promise. We are not asked to ignore the disorder of the world, but to interpret it rightly. The shaking Jesus describes is not evidence of abandonment—it is the sign that God’s redemptive work is moving toward completion. “Your redemption is drawing near.” For those without hope, such signs provoke terror; for those who trust Christ, they announce rescue. Advent faith chooses to believe this objective truth more deeply than the subjective weight of fear.

This hopeful posture is sustained through prayer. As Henri Nouwen reminds us, “Prayer is the discipline in which we let our chaotic world be re-ordered by God.” Prayer steadies us, re-centers our vision, and lifts our eyes beyond what is breaking to what God is faithfully restoring. And as Rowan Williams puts it, “To pray is to refuse to accept the world as it is.” In this season of waiting, prayer becomes an act of holy resistance—training our hearts to trust the coming King. The world may shake, but Advent teaches us to lift our heads, stand firm, and live as people who believe that redemption is near.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

When fear bends us low, teach us to lift our heads in trust. Strengthen us to practice joy as hope, resistance as faith, and waiting as confidence in You. As we watch and pray, anchor us in the promise that redemption is near.

Amen.