A Journey Through Advent: Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021
by Mary Zabawa Taylor,
Member of The Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion, University City
Today's readings: Psalm 145:1-4, 8-13; Isaiah 41:13-20; Matthew 11:7-15
Once upon a time my Advents were full of Christmas choir rehearsals, or the humming expectation of family Christmas. I tried to keep the penitential nature of the season, but it was mostly a losing battle. I chose to ignore the Hebrew lessons of apocalypse altogether, as if they didn’t fit.
This year I’m trying not to put Advent in a box. The prophetic messages of apocalypse are strangely at home these days. The wise Fleming Rutledge says Advent “begins in the dark and is a season in which we help each other to face the truth about the human race and the truth about ourselves.” Surprising to me, the Greek word apokálypsis means uncovering. As Covidtime reveals all kinds of heartbreaking truths about the church, the world, our neighbors, it also reveals creativity, our belovedness, kindness. My Advent call is to pay attention to uncoverings: ego, joy, hard truths, all of it.
“Be with us”, we pray to God. As if God was other than within us. To abide with Spirit, the One who long ago “pitched a tent among us” (Karl Rahner), is to welcome uncovering. We know it is both risky and safe, for we are not alone, whatever is revealed in the dark.
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