Advent and Acceptance

The season of Advent is all about getting our spiritual lives in order, or spiritual houses cleaned up, for the coming of our Savior. This holy and mysterious season calls us to look inside and be present with ourselves, indeed, honest with ourselves. But there is an external component to Advent as well. As the prophet proclaims: "Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight...and all flesh shall see the salvation of God", we have the responsibility as Christ-followers to engage in prayer and action to be a people of justice.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I was gifted with a wonderful realization of something special about my family. Now, I preface what I am about to express with the admission that my family, like many or most families, has had and still has many issues! But through the murkiness of all that human stuff I noticed something rather heartwarming: my family is made up of so many wonderfully nice people! We played together, joked together, shared stories, and even said generous things about those who were absent. What a gift! I felt especially thankful during this holiday time for something so simple, yet life-giving: my family.

There is a huge difference between happiness and joy, I think. Happiness may be fleeting, but joy is eternal. At least when we are talking about divine joy. When we are fortunate to have relationships with others that bring us joy, we must stop at some point and be grateful to God. God is the giver of joy. This is not to say that God is not the giver of happiness, but joy - joy is eternal and can be felt at the depths of the human soul. That's why it's divine!

So then, God is the giver of joy, and God's most precious gift is that of the Son. In this Advent season, we prepare for this Son. We prepare for the joy that is coming. But this joy isn't just about you and me. It's about the whole world. The prophet does not say, 'so some flesh may see the salvation of God'. No. The prophet says, "and ALL flesh shall see the salvation of God."

What I saw on that Thanksgiving Day was the divine touch or spark in the people of my family. It reminded me that God is present in them, in the people who are my friends, in the people who are my congregation, in the people with whom I work, and in the stranger.

This Advent, may we accept our lives as they are, accept the families that we have, accept the world as it is, to quote Rienhold Niebhur: "Taking, as God does, the world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that God will make all things right."

O God, who created all peoples in your image, we thank you for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in this world. Enrich our lives by ever‑widening circles of fellowship, and show us your presence in those who differ most from us, until our knowledge of your love is made perfect in our love for all your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen (Book of Common Prayer, p.841).