A man once owned a large and expensive clock crafted in Switzerland. He kept the clock in a window, where it was seen by passersby who set their watches by it. But something was wrong with the clock. Its hands habitually showed the wrong time. So the man spent considerable energy every day, 3 or 4 times a day, turning the clock's hands to the right positions. This went on for several years, which kept the owner weary. He finally had had enough of the continuous corrections and decided to have the clock's inner parts fixed?"

God did not intend us to make continuous changes by sending Christ into the world. God intended nothing less than to change the whole dynamic of human character. That's why each Advent we encounter this strange character John the Baptist with his call to repentance. It is to remind us that Christmas isn't simply about candy canes and reindeer and snowflakes and colored lights. It is about a righteous God who loves humanity so much that He sent His Son to redeem us from our sins. This is the heart of Advent.