Not because he carries the burden of serious misdeeds. There are no embarrassing revelations that might surface from his past. The closest thing to a sin as most of us would define sin is a discontent with the way things are. The discontent is a symptom of his conviction that nothing really matters anymore. He knows it's time to get ready for Christmas, yet he cannot imagine what that would mean.
Advent begins with an invitation to repent and be forgiven.
Whether or not it is a welcome message, it is surely one we need to hear. So often the Christmas season is about what used to be, what we used to do, who used to be with us. The focus is on us and what we want and our grief that we cannot have it anymore. It is as futile as trying to harvest last year's garden. For Martin and for all of us who find meaning in what is past, the Good News is that we do not earn our forgiveness or merit the gift of Christmas.