Despite all the food consumed, the ripped wrapping paper and the shedding tree, the true Christmas season begins today. This tiny season is a 12 day reflective journey leading to Epiphany, the feast celebrating the arrival in Bethlehem of the three Kings. We call these kings the Wise Men, who according to the world's wisdom were foolish rather than wise for they left their kingdoms, power and comforts to following a star beckoning their hearts and spirits.
There are a couple important experiences recorded in this tiny season's story: three affirmations and two cautions.
The Christ child has been born and the shepherds, hearing the Angels announce: "Today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger", and they went to see if this was true.
Up to now in the story, this conception and birth as the fulfillment of the long awaited promise has been privately held within a very small circle: Mary, Elizabeth and Zechariah and Joseph. Now word of of this great gift is widening into a larger circle.
Radiating circles of awareness is the theme of this journey. Little by little experiences of affirmation will be experienced during this little season. Each affirmation is not only a blessing to Mary and Joseph, but also an experience expanding what is known and understood. Allowing awareness to expand is one theme of this tiny journey.
The second theme comes as the Feast of Epiphany ends but the message is essential to understanding the importance of this little journey as it is a warning to us all. Both Joseph and The Kings were told in a dream and by angels: "do not return by the way you came."
Returning is an interesting caution and from my experience, can be taken a couple different ways. One is to remember that the Liturgical calendar; a yearly circular walking of the story of God and human beings interacting begins ANEW every year with the season of unexpected conception, pregnancy and birth: Advent. I believe built into this design is a caution to not become complacent: do not return to last year's ways or as Isaiah said: "Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, Now it springs up; Do you not perceive it?" Willingness to open ourselves to unexpected experiences of blessing is essential to our journey of growing with God.
Another way of hearing the caution of returning is the temptation which happens to me about this point in new learning: it seems as though I have done enough, the chaos is tiresome and couldn't I please just have things be comfortable. About this point in a journey of learning to perceiving life differently, discomfort is beginning to be felt: my inner compass is out of whack and feeling lost or about to lose my bearings is annoyingly common. Comfortable routines are but a memory and what once was "okay" is now feels boring or irritating. New life may be joyous but it is rarely comfortable.
There is a glorious line in the Nativity narrative telling us exactly how to keep ourselves from returning to our old ideas. The shepherds, leaving their fields and flocks, arrive at the stable and exactly as the angels told them, they see the child wrapped in swaddling clothes. No doubt everyone present is now chattering away about angels and tidings and birthings and babies: for this is what we human beings do.
"But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart."
'Treasured up and pondered in her heart'; this beautifully poetic line shows how to 'not return by the way we came.' We begin the twelve days of Christmas by pondering our Advent journey: what gifts did you receive? Has some new awareness, need or love been conceived? How has the gift manifested and grown? How will you make room for what has been offered? Do you need to do anything to tend the gift?
If you don't have the white candle for the middle of your Advent wreath, I'd suggest getting yourself a candle for this twelve day journey. This is the Christ Candle, the flame acknowledges the promise has been fulfilled. The time of lighting each day would be a lovely way to begin pondering what is within your heart. If you have a notebook or journal, the questions above might be fun to write about. Whatever you do however, remember the caution to not return by the way you came, for a new thing is happening and our task is to learn to perceive it.
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