Some of the more organized among us are probably ready for Christmas. The decorations are up, the baking is done, the shopping is complete and the presents are wrapped. Some of us are also finished decorating our places of residence and have sent the annual greetings, letters and cards.
Every year, I keep telling myself that by the time I actually hit the second week of Advent, I want to have all the fussing complete so that I can actually take some time to enjoy the beauty of the season. In fact, this is usually only a dream which rarely if ever comes to fruition. Many if not all of us do indeed manage to get some of the preparations done, but very few of us ever are finished the planning until the very last minute, and then there is always something forgotten or not done because we just ran out of time.
In the words of a very good friend, we should perhaps rename this liturgical season and call it Madvent because many of us seem to be driven well beyond the limits of our normal patience as we get swept up in the ever-increasing pace of the season.
Was it that much different when the Son of God actually came to the earth? What was that night really like - the one we refer to as O Holy Night? Was it quiet and peaceful, with just a faint breeze blowing? or was it more likely a warm night where the smells and sounds of animals and nightlife spoke more about the need for crowd control and some ear plugs?
God didn't come to the earth in a postcard world, so why do we even dream of the possibility of such an existence? We might be much further ahead to try finding him in the ordinary events of life. He is present, bringing peace to the world which is at war, bringing forgiveness to the world that has become ever so competitive, bringing love to the world that has lost sight of the strength that is found when we rely on one another.
If we even began to appreciate these miracles, perhaps we might be able to truly appreciate the liturgical season of waiting, and Advent might truly be re-discovered as the season of promise.
2 comments:
Perfectly said.
I have been listening to Celine Dion's CD "These Are Special Times" while driving into the city for quite a few days now. "O Holy Night" is my favourite on the album. Thank you for providing the visual.
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