Dear friends—

After the worship service this morning, one of our members said to me, in response to my sermon,  that Advent has an edge to it.  Yes!  I love that way of articulating Advent…it is edgy.  I don’t know where American Christianity got this idea that Advent was supposed to be picturesque and quaint and perfect.  Things are supposed to be decorated just right.  We are supposed to sing the correct music.  We are supposed to be cheerful and happy even though it is dark and cold.  But the fact of the matter, when we stop and think about it, there is nothing quaint about Advent.  Advent is gritty and human and hard to define.  The Christ child didn’t come into this world in a quaint way.  He was born into poverty to a migrant family who were living in a country that was occupied by a militarized empire.  Shortly after his birth, his family had to flee violence, and live as refugees in Egypt.  He was executed by that empire as a young man. Nothing about Jesus was picturesque and cute.  Jesus was gritty.

If you find yourself resisting the societal forces  to move through Advent like business as usual, know that you are being authentic to the spirit of Advent.  This season feels different, and I believe that it should.  We are different.  The world is different.  Advent has an edge because Advent holds our humanity in all our beauty and ugliness.  Love is alive but so is grief and fear and violence.  Advent can hold it all.

Love to you all,
Deb