At one church I attended the pastor said that Advent was his least favorite season in the church calendar. He never explained why, but maybe it was to do with what you discuss. It is a season of hope, but it is also a season which reminds us of oppression.
One response is to work outside large institutions as much as possible. It’s why I think that we will see a rise of monasticism in coming years. In the meantime we can respond locally ― say by growing produce and giving it to the food banks, rather than giving food purchased from a supermarket.
Ian, while I try to not give up hope for the big picture, I am more focused on where I can have an impact. Creating resilient communities is also a form of resistance.
I love this! ". . . of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you . . ." Hope as a disruptive baby (and, though it has been a while, I recall that all of them are demanding, disruptive). Hope can change my life! All I have to do is change its diapers all day long. And sometimes move to Egypt with it. This is great Advent fare for me to chew on.
Todd, this warmed my heart: “But every step we take, every act of love we offer, helps to build a world where the cries of the despair turn into songs of joy.”
“Hope arrives needing tender love and care…. Hope coos to us peacefully, the tender tone of miracles. And then it is hungry again and screams at us in the middle of the night….. ‘We persevere, acting in hope even when we cannot see it’…. We are called to push back against the decrees of despair with acts of love, care, and justice…. It may be as small as a kind word or as bold as standing up for someone in need. But every step we take, every act of love we offer, helps to build a world where the cries of the despair turn into songs of joy. Like the shepherds, be not afraid of the decrees of Rome….”
So very true that we are called to cradle, nourish tenderly hope. I so appreciated that you use the image of a baby for hope. I would say that “We persevere, acting in hope even when we cannot see it" can be pushed to "We persevere, acting in because hope is stirred in us." My article Is it a trusted path? https://christiancitizen.us/is-it-a-trusted-path/ elicits a bit of that concept.
In this season of troubled waters, let us be more of the Good News.
At one church I attended the pastor said that Advent was his least favorite season in the church calendar. He never explained why, but maybe it was to do with what you discuss. It is a season of hope, but it is also a season which reminds us of oppression.
One response is to work outside large institutions as much as possible. It’s why I think that we will see a rise of monasticism in coming years. In the meantime we can respond locally ― say by growing produce and giving it to the food banks, rather than giving food purchased from a supermarket.
Ian, while I try to not give up hope for the big picture, I am more focused on where I can have an impact. Creating resilient communities is also a form of resistance.
I love this! ". . . of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you . . ." Hope as a disruptive baby (and, though it has been a while, I recall that all of them are demanding, disruptive). Hope can change my life! All I have to do is change its diapers all day long. And sometimes move to Egypt with it. This is great Advent fare for me to chew on.
Hope gives us great energy and creativity, but it is not magic. Sometimes it is exhausting.
Todd, this warmed my heart: “But every step we take, every act of love we offer, helps to build a world where the cries of the despair turn into songs of joy.”
🙏❤️
Amen, brother.
“Hope arrives needing tender love and care…. Hope coos to us peacefully, the tender tone of miracles. And then it is hungry again and screams at us in the middle of the night….. ‘We persevere, acting in hope even when we cannot see it’…. We are called to push back against the decrees of despair with acts of love, care, and justice…. It may be as small as a kind word or as bold as standing up for someone in need. But every step we take, every act of love we offer, helps to build a world where the cries of the despair turn into songs of joy. Like the shepherds, be not afraid of the decrees of Rome….”
Amen. 🙏
So very true that we are called to cradle, nourish tenderly hope. I so appreciated that you use the image of a baby for hope. I would say that “We persevere, acting in hope even when we cannot see it" can be pushed to "We persevere, acting in because hope is stirred in us." My article Is it a trusted path? https://christiancitizen.us/is-it-a-trusted-path/ elicits a bit of that concept.
In this season of troubled waters, let us be more of the Good News.