Recently, our street was blocked off for a day for the filming of a trailer for a new TBS holiday show called Instant Christmas. I don’t know what the show will be about, but the title amused me and appealed to me. Maybe we can fast-forward to the day itself, all tasks accomplished, everyone merry and bright. Or not…

Advent is a gift of the ancient church to us, these four weeks of waiting in the dark and yearning for the dawning light. We’re all weary and a bit ragged, aren’t we, worn out by the acrimony of the too-long political campaign. Regardless of how we voted, my sense is that we’re all longing for something better, truly brighter, a kind of dignity, respect, and harmony that seems tarnished and fragile.

I invite you to set aside some time this Advent for worship, for prayer, for sitting with the Word of God, for waiting in the darkness so as to be truly ready to embrace the birth of the Christ Child. I invite you to reach out to others and build bridges. I invite you, as disciples, to be part of re-weaving the fabric that is our common life together.

For Though the Darkness Hide Thee, God is waiting, too, in the shadows, in the deepest dark valleys, to once again proclaim the Promise of the Ages and come to live among us, to be with us, in the One who is the Light of the World.