Words of Advent

We recently asked the grandchildren what one word would describe their experience of Christmas. Their word responses were joyful, warm, and family.

Words shape our experience, express our insights, shape our dreams, and empower our ideas. We often carefully choose our words to ensure our meaning is understood. We usually use words to pray. Words are fundamental to communication, how we express and share ourselves with others. Our words can be a great gift.

There are events in life we anticipate and for which we carefully plan. There are also unexpected occurrences that pop up. Any of these can bring delight or difficulty – sometimes both. We depend on kind words from family, friends, and even strangers to encourage and console us as we cope with life’s challenges.

Sometimes, a few words can shed new light, reorienting us to see the world in a new way. We might say, “I used to think that way. I see things differently now.”

To See Things Anew

We close our Advent with all four wreath candles illuminating the darkness. We are more ready to see things anew in the fullness of light.

When we contemplate the nativity this season, the mother, father, infant, angels, shepherds, magi, and livestock, we may feel familiar with the scene. Yet, I suspect there’s always something new about our experience. In a way, the story never gets old. God’s Word offers it to us as our story – at every stage of our lives.

“And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.”
(John 1:14)

While the birth of Jesus occurred in time twenty centuries ago, its reality is also now, and its promise is unfolding into the future. God is present within us and in all creation. Jesus is the Christ of now and always, God lovingly embracing us, all of humanity. Becoming one of us, God loves us into communion with Him and each other. It is His love for which we long. It is our joy in friendships, families, and communities.

Joyful, Warm, Family

Despite all the heartache and suffering in the world, the birth of Jesus inspires us to profess, “I used to think that way. I see things differently now.”

Let us pray in our families to awaken to the grace and truth of God’s Word among us.