Many of us are struggling with hope right now. The world’s painful problems appear increasingly unresolvable and the always-imperfect vision of our country as a beacon of justice and refuge for the persecuted seems more distant than ever. Climate change, immigration, inflation, rent hikes and housing shortages, war and violence throughout the world, political polarization in our own nation - where is the joy in any of that?
For Christians, Advent is the beginning of the new liturgical year and marks the weeks before Christmas, a time of reflection and preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Each evening, as we sit down to dinner, we light candles in our Advent wreath, one the first week, then two, three and four until finally Christmas arrives. Traditionally the candles represent hope, peace, joy and love.
I love Advent. It calls me to prayer and centering, a retreat from the busyness of decorating, baking and gift-buying. The darkness of the season only adds to the sense of quiet and mystery. As a mother, I can walk with Mary in pregnant hope for the gift of Love born into this world.
Many of the liturgical readings speak of joy and splendor, laughter and rejoicing. Isaiah and Baruch celebrate the anticipated return of a conquered people. St. Paul writes words of encouragement and love to disciples and prays “always with joy” for them. The Gospel stories tell of those who came before Jesus, John the Baptist, Mary and her cousin, Elizabeth, foretelling the coming of one greater then themselves. Was everything rosy for God’s people in those times? Not at all.
The prophets' words encourage a conquered people living in exile to remember that God has not forgotten them. There will be a time when they will return and freely practice their faith. There are Psalms that celebrate that occasion, reminding us all that joy can follow sorrow.
Paul is writing from prison at a time of persecution for followers of the Gospel. Like John the Baptist, his execution is imminent. Where is the joy in any of that?
Like the earth around us where life lies dormant waiting for the warmth of spring, we can find seeds of hope all around us - in the buds that prevail through the winter, in the birds and other creatures that continue to search for and find nourishment, in a sunny day where warmth breaks through, in the kindness of others, the love of family and friends, and the tenacity of those who work for justice.
As the solstice approaches and we enter into a deeper darkness, we know that the days will again grow longer and spring will come. It’s not a time to wish for days to pass more quickly. Rather, it’s a time to enter into the darkness, not denying its existence, but like the roots of a tree, taking nourishment and building strength in the darkness of the earth.
Jesus was born into a harsh world, an occupied country where Rome’s justice was not at all just, but cruel and capricious. Christians believe that God chose that time and that place to be born physically into the world and experience all that being human entails. Not that God needed an education, but as a sign to humanity that God is one with us in all of life’s messiness.
May your Advent and all your religious observances be a time of hope, of gathering strength for the journey secure in the knowledge that God makes no promises that life will be easy, but that God will be born to the earth again and again In every act of justice and mercy. That alone is cause for rejoicing.
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