I was reading Luci Shaw's entry for this week in God With Us, and realized that it's not my fault that my Advent has had more than an acceptable level of Not Well.
She had written about the waiting we are asked to do through Advent and through Lent and how they echo each other. As I read, I realized that in the blending of Christian lore and pagan ritual, a terrible error had been made. How is it that with all the birth and life that comes with Spring, we Christians wait for the Death (yes, and resurrection, but Death, first there is the Death) and in the dark of winter, when all is dark and dead, we wait for the Birth?
You see the crazy, right?
I mean, I can see how someone thought it would work - the resurrection bit really does make it complicated, and I can see the appeal of focusing on Life in the midst of the lifeless winter. But my soul, my soul has to work too hard to accommodate this one.
The worry, the sadness, the pain and the ick of December and "celebrating" Christmas seem much more suited to the melancholy of preparing for that sad sacrifice, that great grief when the Father and the Son were inexplicably not One in those dark hours on the cross. To live in that for a few days, and then be reminded that Life! is the victor just three days later would be a lovely exercise in the middle of this long winter.
And then to Advent, to prepare our hearts for the arrival of Hope, Joy, Peace and Love in the weeks that bring us new green tendrils and the nosing out of what in a few short months will be our daily bread - who didn't see that? Hint of life at every turn, pointing to the Life Eternal that is about to be birthed into our broken world - to know that our own souls will be thawed by that First Birth even as the soul beneath our feet is thawed; the symbolism is so comfortingly clear, isn't it?
This seems glaringly obvious to me. I'm not sure how it could have been missed. I wonder who I write to request a change to the church calendar...
4 comments:
Interesting thoughts. For me, dealing with SAD, there is something hopeful about new life/birth in the midst of a season that feels very dark. The constant reminder of Hope, Peace. Joy and Love, although annoying at times, is also a catalyst for me to keep looking..trying to understand the mystery.
On the flip side, Lent is like the easing out of darkness into the light that is the resurrection and new life in a different way.
But, I'm willing to go your way if you convince the powers that be.
I think that you are on to something here. Were they trying to moderate joy back in the day. Not too high and not too low? I will ponder this for a bit...Then again, Jesus seemed to use contradictions and paradox
YES, so true. On Christmas Eve, however, at the end of the church service (we are Presbyterian)the whole congregation (a huge church) gets a candle. One by one we pass the flame to our pew-mates, while singing Silent Night, until there are over a thousand flames of light in the darkness. It's my most favorite part of Christmas, and, as Mamabear mentioned, a light seems even brighter in the darkness. It's good to have that joy in the darkness. :) LOVE this post.
Sarah! that is such a beautiful picture. I have made some peace with the idea that the Light in Darkness might have its own power as an image at this time of year. I may not start my petition yet...
(ps: do you go to University Pres? we've known some sweet souls who gather there.)
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