---
title: "Advent Reflections of Longing, Hope, and Joy"
date: 2025-12-02T07:07:00-06:00
author: Jennifer Vermeer
canonical_url: "https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/advent-reflections-of-longing-hope-and-joy"
section: In All Things
---
[ View All Articles](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things) 

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 Dec 2, 2025 

# Advent Reflections of Longing, Hope, and Joy

During Advent, we are reminded that we live in the tension of lament and joy, longing and hope, as we await Christ’s second coming. How might we orient our hearts to live faithfully today, while longing for the day when all is made new?

 

     ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/christmas-decorations-trinkets.jpg?mode=crop&pos=0.5021-0.6873&w=66&h=57&f=webp&c=a0313774&v=8f43900fc8a31e4843296d11105bc3d25d1261bd38d67132915db7344b564d4a)   

 

 ![]() 

       ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/iat-advent-light.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=40&h=25&c=46bd24ec&v=69ad42bdfec7902f489780edf8e3fd6eec9028603ad98b33991cc76cecda7f26)  ## Advent Reflections of Longing, Hope, and Joy

“A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;  
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  
Every valley shall be lifted up,  
and every mountain and hill be made low;  
the uneven ground shall become level,  
and the rough places a plain.  
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,  
and all flesh shall see it together,  
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’”  
  
*(Isaiah 40:3–5, ESV)*

 

  [### Christmas Calories and Hallmark Movies

Hallmark’s idyllic towns and predictable plots offer comfort in a chaotic world, but as Christians, we are called to live fully in the here and now. How can we ensure that our delight in seasonal comforts doesn’t distract from living faithfully and attentively in the world today?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/christmas-calories-and-hallmark-movies)  

  [### In Our Waiting

Christ enters a broken world not to erase suffering immediately, but to bring light into it. How does recognizing this shape the way we show care, offer presence, and reflect hope to those who are hurting?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/in-our-waiting)  

  [### The Scandal of the Incarnation

During Advent, we are reminded that Christ enters not in distant spectacle, but in the ordinary spaces of our lives. How might we live fully, attending to and participating in the ways the Lord works quietly in His creation among us?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/the-scandal-of-the-incarnation)  

  [### Delight

Advent invites us to reflect on the enduring faithfulness of the Lord's provision. How might slowing down and re-examining tradition lead us to deeper gratitude, purpose, and joy?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/delight)  

  [### Already, Not Yet

During Advent, we wait in expectant hope for Christ’s redemptive promises to be made visible to us. How does creation allow us to witness glimpses of those promises as we anticipate the day that they’re made full?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/already-not-yet)  

  [### Chasing Light

In the short, dark days of winter, light becomes a gift—a quiet reminder of hope. How does the scarcity of light sharpen our eyes to its beauty and meaning, and how might we tune our hearts to practice this attentiveness daily?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/chasing-light)  

 

 

---

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 Jan 13, 2026 

## In the Age of AI: Thinking Christianly About Technology

As technology continues to transform our work, learning, relationships, and culture, how can Biblical wisdom guide us in our use and understanding of AI? This series explores the impact of new technologies on our daily lives, inviting reflection on the complex questions of living in the age of AI.

Read More

 

 

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/in-the-age-of-ai-thinking-christianly-about-technology)  [Next Article

     ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/iat-rooted-series.png?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=56&h=33&f=webp&c=0f2b67d9&v=eaf4297052e3f62f74c329e9b15b8f59d699097ed6ced6b92b083c8160663094)   Series 

 Nov 04, 2025 

## Rooted: Stories of Dwelling and Belonging

What does it mean to belong somewhere? This series invites reflection on place as something we build, remember, mourn, and seek. Places of hope and hurt, real or imagined.

Read More

 

 

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/rooted-stories-of-dwelling-and-belonging)  [  ![]() ## In All Things

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