The Work of Advent

Advent has always been one of my favorite seasons of the church year.  I love Christmas with all its fanfare and beauty--angel choirs and glittering trees and a bright star in the night--but Advent reaches deep into my soul.  This time of waiting and preparation suits my introverted nature.  

Yet how often I let it slip by without really taking the time to settle down and move into silent spaces.  In this year of lockdowns and isolation, one would think that might be easier, but the truth of the matter is it is not.  Simple things, like Christmas Eve services, are made all the more complex with the various restrictions.  Even the ceremony surrounding the lighting of candles on the Advent Wreath each Sunday, have required a different set of preparations.  We are worshipping in two different spaces, so we needed to procure a second Advent Wreath, arrange for it to be set up . . . and on and on.  I'm not complaining, just noting how easily I can be distracted from the real point of Advent.

One of my favorite Christmas poems is Howard Thurman's exquisite "The Work of Christmas":

When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and princes are home,

When the shepherds are back with their flock,

The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,

To heal the broken,

To feed the hungry,

To release the prisoner,

To rebuild the nations,

To bring peace among others,

To make music in the heart.

And so it is.  But first, before Christmas, I must do the work of Advent.  I must take the time to focus my heart on the love of God made known at Bethlehem.  I must pause and be still.  I must be ready to be filled with the joy, the courage, the grace and strength of Christ. I must do the real work of Advent, for only then will I be able to do the work of Christmas.