Advent bids us confront the tyranny of the past, chuck it, get over it, put it away, and get on with the future. . . . Christians possess the future because that is where God intends to meet us once again. That is why we must always look ahead and not back, and why we must always trust and not fear: for the Christian the imperishable slogan must always be "Our best days are before us!"
— Peter J. Gomes, Strength for the Journey