Believe: Rediscovering Awe in Advent

Christmas is a season that calls us back to wonder. Recently I was listening to Josh Groban’s Believe, written for The Polar Express, and it reminds us that faith is not just for children—it is the heartbeat of hope itself. The song insists that belief opens our eyes to beauty, joy, and resilience, even when the world feels weary.

Advent is the Church’s invitation to prepare—not only for the celebration of Christ’s birth, but for His daily arrival in our ordinary lives. Scripture tells us: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Belief is what allows us to see that light, to trust that God is near, even when shadows linger.

Groban’s lyrics speak of journeys—trains, ships, paths—that symbolize the winding roads of life. We may lose our way or grow cynical, but the invitation remains: to rediscover awe, to trust again, to believe. Jesus Himself tells us, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). Childlike faith is not naïve—it is courageous.

In a culture that exhausts us with noise and negativity, belief becomes resistance. Awe becomes a shield. Gratitude becomes a doorway into hope. Advent asks us to be “all in”—to welcome both beauty and brokenness, to let Christ reshape us in love.

This season, may we remember: belief is not nostalgia. It is the choice to live awake to grace, open to mystery, and ready for the God who comes near.