giver of gifts? a mystical priest? What do we hope for from God? Protection and defense for our lives? good fortune and prosperity? a heavenly reward in the “hereafter”? An important part of the message of Advent for us is that we must not restrict the coming of God with overly narrow ideas and desires, for if we do so, we risk not recognizing God’s arrival. Jesus goes beyond his Jewish forebears’ expectations—and also ours. The memory of Jesus orients our lives and defines our hopes. But it does