Take a deep breath in and exhale. What is the thing you hate most about the Christmas season? Is it a memory? An over-played song? The fake happiness oozing from over-commercialization? The stab of a broken relationship? Rejection or isolation? What do you feel in your body as you think about this? What emotion rises in you? Hold space for yourself. Breathe in and exhale. What would it mean to exercise kindness for yourself in this moment? Perhaps you want to wrap your arms around yourself in an embrace. Perhaps you want to find a soft blanket to wrap yourself in. Perhaps you want to take time out to prepare a beverage you’ll enjoy. Maybe you need to whisper an affirmation or two or ten to yourself: I am Beloved; I Belong; I am Beautiful; I am Loveable; I am Kind; I am Known; I am Wise; I am Thoughtful; I am Valuable; I am Beloved. Take five deep breaths as you allow those affirmations to rest in your mind and heart.
Song of Songs 2: 10 – 13
My beloved spoke and said to me,
“Arise, my love,
my beautiful one, come with me.
See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my love;
my beautiful one, come with me.”
Advent reminds us that we are waiting for much more than Christmas. Advent looks much further than that. Advent is about the consummation – where all things will be made right! Where justice flows like rivers, where there is no more pain or mourning or suffering. Advent calls us beyond the manger, and even beyond the crucifixion and the resurrection. It calls us into the vision of perfect shalom.
This is a vision I still want to nurture in my spirit – even if I’m wrong about all of it. Because this is a vision worth shaping my life around. This is a vision worth hoping in.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed. To be paralyzed by the enormity of the problems around us. We can wonder what difference we could make, what hope we could find, what way forward will lead us to a better place.
But this is where love comes in. Remember the old song, “Love lifted me”? “When nothing else could help, Love lifted me.” Love sees us. Love knows us. Love places a vision before us where winter has ended, new life is springing up, and there is beauty all around.
I love loving the folks in the Generous Space community. I love seeing people love each other. I love seeing how being loved changes us. I love how love convinces us we are safe after all. I love how love softens our hard edges and soothes our upset. I love how love celebrates who we truly are. I love how love liberates us. I love how love stomps on our shame. I love how love strengthens us and gives us courage.
If nothing else about Christmas brings us joy or peace – let it be that Christmas reminds us of the power of being loved. For indeed, “God so loved the word that God sent the only Child ….”
For those of us who find it so very hard to feel loved, call to us in a way that we can hear, “Arise my love, my beautiful one, come with me.” Give the glimpse of shalom that can nurture hope within us. Give us eyes to see the opportunities to extend love. And so let us remember the power of love, and let it lift us.
Amen.