Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Advent

Winter in the Northwest can get me down. I miss the sun. Then it seemed one bad situation after another was happening or being brought to my attention. Police being shot. Children be solved into sex slavery. Immigration rights or lack there of. Parents loosing children. Children loosing parents. Hunger and disease that are preventable putting people into a tailspin. You get the picture. All of that and no sun put me in a sour mood.

But then I remembered Advent. I think it is brilliant that Christmas and the Winter Solstice come at the same time. I may celebrate both. I'm not worried about Christians stealing the holiday away. It makes sense to use it and embrace the very real part of this time of year when the darkness shifts. That is what Christmas is. That is what is happening in the seasons. It all fits together. Jesus is the light that breaks into the darkness.

It can be helpful to remember the solstice is coming in these dark days when cars have their lights on at 3pm. We are looking forward to the shift in light. Longer days. More sun. Bring it on!

It also fills me with hope when I get stuck in a place of thinking of all the bad happening around me, that Christ breaks into that darkness. The Kingdom is breaking in all around me. There is light and there is hope. It doesn't get swallowed up even if seems like it some days.

This Advent Christmas season we should spend less time worry about what holiday season it is and embrace them all as we speak a word of hope for the light that shines in the dark and does is not overcome by it.

Enjoy the Holidays of Light.