Friday, December 4

In May of 1858, Kamehameha IV and Emma welcomed a prince into the world. After a series of short-lived monarchs, the royal line had become decimated due to smallpox and other diseases introduced from the West. Prince Albert Kaleiopapa represented a stable lineage, a direct heir to a throne that had passed from cousins, uncles, and brothers. Shortly thereafter, the Royal Family wrote to Queen Victoria of England, requesting a mission of the Church of England to begin residence in the islands.

At this point, the King and Queen were surely filled with hope and anticipation. Well before the age of Zoom and email, it took weeks for letters to arrive, and several years before the first Anglican bishop arrived in Honolulu. One can only imagine the joyous hope in the soon-to-arrive clergy, who would be assigned as the Crown Prince’s personal chaplain, mirroring the practice of the British royal family.

However, tragedy struck. Shortly before the Bishop arrived, Crown Prince Albert died suddenly. Hope in a lasting monarchy crushed the King and Queen. Yet amidst their sorrow, they were confirmed into the Anglican faith on November 28, 1862. We commemorated this feast day last week, praising God for the work of Kamehameha IV and Emma.

Like the Holy Sovereigns, this Advent we live in a state of hopeful anticipation amidst tragedy. Whether it is the direct effects of the pandemic, the subsequent economic downturn, or simply missing our friends and family, this Advent season, more than ever, reminds us of what it is like to hope for a better future with a clear-eyed view of tragedy in our world.

Some of us may not be ready to look forward to Christmas at this point. So much seems tenuous and uncertain. We may be mourning losses and not yet ready to welcome the Incarnate Lord. We may find there is “no room at the inn” of our hearts, filled heavy with mourning. Or perhaps, we find that we simply cannot wait - that we have run out of patience and desire to wake up tomorrow to the joys of Christmas.

Yet we wait, guided by the Spirit of anticipation and hope. Advent does not mean sitting still. When the Holy Sovereigns were faced with tragedy, they got to work. They raised money for a church and for a hospital to care for those dying of smallpox. They did not forget their tragic loss, but they did not wallow in it either.

This Advent is certainly different. It is, like everything else, part of the “new normal.” But as we focus our minds on the coming of Christ, we recall the words of the prophet Isaiah - “prepare the way of the Lord” (Isa. 40:3). Preparation is not a passive act. As we look with sadness, or perhaps just boredom, in this Pandemic season, let us actively prepare for the times to come.

Erin Richardson Severin