I cannot believe that we are already in the Christmas season, with its onslaught of competitive bargaining for our spending. Despite the over-emphasis on "stuff", this is has always been my favorite season. I have so many great memories of Christmases past and the great effort my parents put into balancing the sacred and secular aspects of the season; that is, the birth of Jesus with the arrival of Santa Claus.
Every Christmas Eve, after all the festivities of preparing for the Big Day were completed, my parents would gather my sister and I for the reading of the Christmas story as a last event before bedtime. I never recall ever liking this part of the evening because I had heard the story so many times and it seemed like such a waste of time...I needed to get to bed so I could wake up early and open presents. After the story, we would take time to pray and give thanks for all God's bountiful blessings. Looking back, it is obvious this was my parents' way of reminding us all of why we celebrate in the first place.
When I was in seminary, I was introduced to another important way Christians throughout the ages have remembered and celebrated the birth of Jesus: Advent. I was not reared with this tradition because the churches we attended considered such things unnecessary and quite possibly affiliated with some aspect of idolatry (which, unfortunately, was pretty much their response to just about anything that did not have its beginnings within our tradition). Anyway, I discovered the importance of Advent for the church and for my life, and recognized it as an incredible gift from the church of old to the church eternal. It became a recognition that the birth of Christ, and subsequent return, requires more than one day of recognition and celebration. It was also a reminder that the church lives by a different calendar than the rest of the world.
Advent causes us to take a slow look at the lives of the original cast of characters and consider the immense ramifications of the incarnation. It bids us to reflect on the implications of such a radical event in human history and how that effects us today. It (re)focuses the church on the virtues of hope, faith, peace, and love. Advent calls Christians to not only remember the birth that happened so long ago, but also of the ongoing hope we are to maintain as we patiently await His return. It is the beginning of the new year on the Christian/Liturgical Calendar; the new beginning of walking in "real-time" the journey of Jesus and the history of the church.
While many of my church friends don't understand its importance, or just dismiss it as something that "other" churches do, this has been an incredibly important aspect of my formation as a Christian...just as it historically has been for most of the church (and all of the western church prior to the Protestant Reformation). I don't know if it is simply because it is something new to me, the incredibly powerful symbols associated with its celebration, the lengthening of reflection time on the story of the incarnation, or its link with the church that extends past the last 200 years, but the recognition and celebration of Advent has been one of the most important and meaningful gifts I have received in adulthood.
So, in this season of buying and giving, I find myself wanting to slowly wait. In the midst of hustle and bustle, I look for silence and stillness. As others seek the perfect gift, I want to reflect on the ultimate gift...and pray, as the church has traditionally done during this season, "Maranatha! Come Quickly, Lord Jesus!"
Grace and Peace.
