Advent I 2022
“Hello
Darkness, my old friend,
I’ve
come to talk with you again.
Because
a vision softly creeping,
left
its seeds while I was sleeping,
and
the vision that was planted in my brain
still
remains—within the sounds of silence.”
--Simon and Garfunkle
If
you are of a certain age—oh, like mine, for example—the words of that song may
act like a memory magnet. Of course, if you remember the 60’s and 70’s you
weren’t really having a good time….
But
as I’ve thought about today’s readings and about the beginning of Advent, that
song kept appearing and reappearing in my mind and heart.
Advent
is a time of “darkness”, a time of “visions”, a time of “sleeping” and a time
of “silence”.
Each
day of Advent has less light than the day before. Each day is only a few
minutes darker—but by the time Advent is ending the effect is startling. As we
wait for the Christchild we are waiting in the darkest time of the year. And
Darkness—for all the fear it brings—can be a dear and valuable friend.
Advent
is a time chock full of “visions”.
Isaiah, in today’s reading, sees a vision of the new Jerusalem
descending to the mountain of the Lord. He sees visions of peace and visions of
the end of war. He sees visions of a time of unity among all nations and a time
of learning to walk God’s path and not our own—a time of walking in the Light….
Paul’s
vision in Romans is the vision of LOVE replacing the LAW—a vision of compassion
and caring for the well being of others taking away the need for rules and regulations.
Paul’s vision is one of walking in the Light….
Then
there is Jesus’ “vision” from Matthew’s gospel—a vision of the coming of the
Son of Man. It is a vision of sudden judgment and sure distress—and yet, even
in that vision, God comes to gather the children at an unexpected time….
Advent
is a time of darkness and visions and sleeping.
The
earth is falling asleep. The trees are bare, the flowers are dead, the animals
are nesting and the ground is freezing. The air chills us and the moon and stars
shine brightly, larger than usual, in the cold sky. It is a time to sleep
through the long night and dream of the Light.
Advent
is a time of silence. Think about it. The insects are asleep. Many of the birds
are gone. Night comes quickly and stays long so many of the sounds of the day
go missing early. And, it seems to me at least, the cold, heavy air muffles the
sounds that are left. Silence, like a blanket, falls over us during Advent.
Human
beings are not creatures that appreciate silence and darkness. We long for
light and sound. Advent tends to make us anxious. No one likes to “wait”—and
Advent is all about “waiting”—and most of us fear the dark and fill our lives
with noises. So Advent…a time of “waiting” in the darkness and the
silence…well, it is problematic for most of us most of the time.
And
there is this: it is in darkness that we discover the secret places of our soul
and it is in silence that we begin to hear the voice of God. Darkness and
silence force us to “be alone”—and in that “loneliness” we discover our deeper
selves AND that we are not, ultimately, alone.
Advent
is a time to experience darkness and silence—lean into them, embrace them. And
it is not something we do gladly or willingly. It is something we must
practice.
Do
me a favor—if you would. Close your eyes and keep them closed.
See
how close darkness always is?
And
now—eyes still closed—I’m going to stop talking for a moment….
See
how close silence always is?
We
are waiting, we are waiting, in a dark and silent place…we are waiting….
But
in our waiting, as we touch the darkness and the silence, we come to know we
are not alone
Others
are waiting with us….We are not alone…without opening your eyes, simply sense
the people who are with you…those here and those in your heart….
And
beyond that, there is Another who waits with us…deep, deep in our hearts, God
waits with us…in the darkness and the silence…there is God….
The
New Jerusalem is coming….the Son of Man is coming….the Christ child is coming….the
Light is coming….
All
our waiting will bring that to pass….
In
the darkness and the silence…..
Amen and Amen
