I am smitten, besotted, with the language of this season. Words that are spoken and set to music and printed on cards that drop through the door - this is a season of the eloquence of hope, and I love it!
He went on to say as he was speaking about the light which is part of what Advent brings:
... right through to the late night in here on Christmas Eve – when we let every light go out, every last bulb, understanding that at times for all of us and at that moment for somebody – there is only darkness, and then a single candle is lit, brought to the front, the apparent weakness of a candle lit at midnight, and a voice speaks : ‘The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined…’
To light a candle at midnight is to say to the darkness ‘I beg to differ’ – I love the words of this season… I am smitten.
Advent is indeed a time when a light shines in the darkness. And, I believe, all of us long for that light. Advent is a time of longing and of hope. But it is true, the darkness we see around us sometimes makes it all seem nonsense. We look around us and see too much that is chaotic, violent, self-absorbed and we say, 'this message cannot be true'. But we mustn't lose sight of the beauty and goodness all around us: the kindness of friends, the beauty of a baby, the exquisite detail of a flower and the peace in unforeseen places. We must not let the dark even vaguely win.
Another poems of Mary Oliver which speaks to this. It is called, *Praying:
It doesn't have to be
the blue Iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch
a few words together and don't try
to make them elaborate, this isn't
a contest, but the doorway
into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.
There is much about Christmas in our society that is special: it is a time for family and for the giving of gifts to show our caring, but the core of Christmas, the reason it exists, is to celebrate the birth of goodness, the birth of light, the birth of hope made visible in a tiny baby. To believe this is not to deny the existence of these gifts in other faiths but only to say that for many, this has a face, a person we can hold on to.
* See Rosedale United Church website:http://rosedaleunited.org/ and you can hear the whole of the sermon.
* Mary Oliver: Thirst, Beacon Press, Boston, 2006
1 comment:
Certainly at this time of short and dark days, it is wonderful to have hope and to keep noticing all the beauty and goodness around us. The beauty of fresh snow, a clear night sky with a full moon, the refreshing sounds of the wind blowing, are all gifts to remind us of the wonders of nature and our world, if we can just pay attention. I also love hearing Christmas hymns and instrumental music. Maintaining joy and hope at this time of year may require more mindfulness than in the spring, for instance, but it is a good way to train our minds to focus on the positive.
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