the journey

 

Well…it’s here. The “Christmas season” is upon us. And along with it come a variety of emotions, memories and anticipation. Many of these are intensely joyful – an increased sense of belonging and being loved, a deepened awareness of God’s presence in and among us, the mystery of gifts that will be received, our own desire to bestow gifts that express heartfelt thoughtfulness and appreciation. These are just some of the ways that the spirit of Christmas satisfies very deep longings in our souls. The hard part is getting there. The difficulty for us is no different than it was for the wise men and shepherds…their challenge, and ours, is the journey that leads to the place where Jesus is.

For many of us, sadly, the spirit of Christmas is "hurry". And yet, eventually, the hour comes when the rushing ends and the race against the calendar mercifully comes to a close. And where will we be when that time comes? Will we have received any of the gift God repeatedly places within our reach – the Kingdom that is “at hand”? Will we possess any of the peace and joy of which Jesus says he came to bring?

I have spoken before of how hurry robs us. I would take it a step further by saying that we are, in fact, “irresponsibly busy”. We mask our fears and feed the ruthless furnace of self deception that fuels us through incessant busyness. Our sense of the natural rhythms of the seasons and days are lost to us. We miss the banquet of comfort that God is laying before us as we scurry and worry and hurry. What does every spiritual thinker advocate as the first steps to inner peace? Silence. Stillness. How is it that during Advent, the call to stillness and silence and reflection makes us cringe? Why do we refuse to allow these things into our lives, choosing darkness over light?

These questions can only be answered by ourselves, most likely when we are alone. Advent is not a matter of days or weeks, but of centuries - nearly twenty of them now since that holy night in Bethlehem. Christmas itself is eternal.  The older I get, the greater my longing for things eternal, the greater my longing to see the centuries old mysteries of God unfolding around me here and now. I am not so much waiting for something to occur, I am not waiting to “go to heaven”, but rather I am seeking to discover the heavenly right where I am. I desperately seek what the shepherds and wise men found – God now with us- Emmanuel.

To me, this is what Advent is all about – taking the time to hear the sounds of angels bringing me good news, above the din of this noisy life; allowing myself the space to see the shining signs that God has given to lead me on my journey; to make my pursuit of the Christ Child more important than the busyness the world offers me.

May your journey to the Christ Child this Christmas bring you to the place where you, too, find that God is with you.

~Amy