Lament without hope curdles into cynicism, and hope without lament becomes sentimentality. Advent teaches us to hold both together. We cry, “How long, O Lord?” (Psalm 13:1, ESV) while clinging to the promise, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5, ESV).
The kingdom has drawn near in Jesus Christ, and that means we cannot remain neutral. When the true King comes near, every rival kingdom is exposed, the kingdom of self, the kingdom of money, the kingdom of pleasure, the kingdom of political power, the kingdom of religious respectability.
That distinction matters because evangelism becomes either prideful or crushing when we forget it. If we imagine that another person’s conversion finally depends upon our persuasiveness, success can make us proud and failure can make us despair. But salvation belongs to the Lord.