Now as a Christian I realize that some of our language is a bit
confusing and I also understand that as we "celebrate" our calendar year
and highlight the "makers" of our faith to someone new it might seem a
bit weird. Like why do we talk about Jesus' birth as if he hasn't yet
been born? When we celebrate anyone else' birthday we count the years
of their life not re-enact them as if they were just born. So why
continue to each year, celebrate the birth of a baby who happen to one
day become our savior?
Well that is a loaded question with probably more then one
answer. But here is my answer. Because, we as Christians celebrate our
calendar not just as a calendar of dates but as a Spiritual journey.
The whole of the calendar year is a Spiritual practice - a walk if you
will. That begins now, with the expected birth of Christ. During this
phase of this Spiritual walk, we are in quite anticipation opening
ourselves up to a new relationship with God and our community.
Christmas season brings people together and Advent reminds us of the
importance of relationships. So we are opening ourselves up to God -
hopefully each year as we continue to grow and realizes the changes that
are happening in our own lives we take some time during advent to truly
ask ourselves what does it mean for Jesus to be my savior and how can I
continue to make room for Jesus in my life? What can I do today to be a
better Christian?
So usually* on the third Sunday in advent we light the pink candle. This candle represents Joy - depending on the litany can also be the Mary candle, but either way it breaks into the Advent season a simple reminder.
I really relate Advent season and the expecting coming of Jesus to an actual pregnancy. Emotionally, much of advent is the sum total of the expected excitement that usually takes 9 months. During pregnancy parents begin to formulate a new relationship with each other and this new being growing inside. There is a lot of expectations of who this baby will turn out to be and what that will mean for the parents/family. But there is also, worry that everything will be OK. There is an underlying understanding that although this miracle is growing and will soon be here until the actual day of birth there is something still a bit surreal about it. For anyone who has suffered the loss of a pregnancy knows that the emotions during a second only mere the emotions of advent even more...still anticipation.
We have been talking about building up our relationships with God and others - that by working on our relationships with others we are building up our relationship with God and that by trusting God a bit more, we are releasing control and hopefully creating new relationships with others - it is a two way path. Advent is a time for this, a time for us to reflect on and prepare for the birth of Christ and all that Christ means to us. This is a time for us to truly look at our lives and ask ourselves where God is and how God fits. Just as new parents adjust where the new child fits into their lives, we are in quite anticipation preparing ourselves for Jesus arrival.
Granted we already know how the story ends and who Jesus becomes. And for some of us we have already made this room for Jesus in our lives. And that is what is behind the pink candle. That amongst this advent season we are reminded of how the story ends - Jesus' Birth, Life, Death, Resurrection. We are reminded of the Joy that comes on that Christmas morning when there with his parents Jesus came into this world. A baby.
Probably enough for now and I might reword this later this week....
