When David is made king, he makes his first move a simple but profound one: he moves the ark of the covenant back to the center of life for God’s people. His willful action doesn’t bring the presence of God, rather, it brings the peoples’ attention to the fact that God is present. The season of Advent reminds us that no matter how dark, God is near. God’s presumed absence is often an invitation to our attention: where are we looking? What is at the center of our life? Just as David brought the ark in to remind the people of God’s commitment, what do we bring in to remind us of the same thing?
