Advent 2010 #2

Sun rising in the Neighborhood

Today's post was actually the first thought that caused me to think I should post an Advent series.

I took a walk the other day just before sunrise. As I walked the sun was striking the mountains, too bad I did not capture that picture. The sunlight struck the mountains then the houses across the street. The mountains were filled with dark shadows until light broke through, exposing more and more of the valleys and crevices. And the houses, shrouded in a dim light. slowly filled with light. What I had thought I could see clearly suddenly became even clearer, revealing things I had been staring at but not able to see.

Sunrise

Looking toward the sun, it was still hidden from my sight by a hill. The hill itself was in the dark. As I walked, the edge became more defined and the glow somehow made the hill look even darker, darker than the mountains. The edge of hill became clearer and clear until when the sun finally rose I could no longer see the edges or the hill, until I was forced to look away. I found that at sunrise, the clearest view was in looking away from the sun toward what it reveals.

My faith has brought me to a place where I often look at the completed picture, exposed to the full light of day. And sometimes I lose sight of how that picture came together, both in history and in my life. Each day, considering a new facet of the Christmas story draws me into the story. Slowly the full story is exposed but I have connected with each part, distinct and special. The words of Isaiah and Psalms, the announcements by the angels, the musings of Joseph, the reaction of Mary, the birth, Simeon, and Anna, the Wise men, and the shepherds all bring me to a place of anticipation and hope. 

I appreciate that our culture provides some symbols to remind me of Advent. But my anticipation is not what it was as a child looking forward to Santa Claus and Luminarias and presents and snow. My anticipation is not about some celebration of a historic event (which it is) or even some final end result (which it has). It is deeper or different than that and I don't have the words, or enough of the right ones to describe this today. But even if I did explain it, since it does have to do with faith you may not even think it is rational. That is okay. For now, just know, that I connect with that story and sense a bit more of its depth with each year. And for this month I'll simply take it in, and let the story speak.

Peace to all.