Watch For It Lest You Miss It
“The season of Advent means there is something on the horizon the likes of which we have never seen before. What is possible is to not see it, to miss it, to turn just as it brushes past you. And you begin to grasp what it was you missed, like Mosses in the cleft of the rock, watching God’s back fade in the distance. So stay. Sit. Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. Behold. Wonder. There will be time enough for running. For rushing. For worrying. For pushing. For now, stay. Wait. Something is on the horizon.” ~ Jan L. Richardson
This is a “vacation fail moment” that I share with you. I remember many years ago when I was young (old man mode on) and we were going on vacation. We were driving to Florida to visit my aunt and uncle in Florida. It was a long trip and I was a pre-teen. To keep us excited about the drive and to keep us focused on things, my parents would talk up certain spectacular sights coming up on the horizon.
I remember many times waiting for the view of a long bridge over a river, of tall skyscrapers as we passed different cities, of grand sights going through mountains. I would long for those sights. I would get myself all excited about them. I would think about them and chatter about them. And then, I would end up falling asleep in the back seat and miss them. When I woke up, I would ask how much longer it was to whatever it was I was looking forward to seeing and I would be told that we had left it behind a long time ago.
There’s nothing more devastating than looking forward to something and getting all excited about it only to lose out on it.
Advent reminds us that there is something grand on the horizon, Richardson states, “the likes of which we have never seen before.” We need to keep focused upon the journey so that we do not miss it when it comes. Christmas is that journey’s destination – the spiritual version of Christmas. However, we can become so bogged down in different material preparations of Christmas that we miss the great spiritual reality when the day arrives.
Instead of celebrating, we act relieved that the day has arrived. We eat a big lunch with family or friends and then take a nap. Afterwards, we feel relieved that the day is over. Hardly the way to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.
FAITH ACTION: Keep focused on your spiritual journey during Advent lest you lose sight of the reality of Christmas.