So I point to Dan in the pews and invited him to walk in procession to light the first Advent candle. On the way down the aisle, this young man asks the obvious question, what is an Advent wreath? Good question Dan, let’s take it one step further and simply ask what is the purpose of Advent?
I'm sure all my Sonshine readers would answer this question by saying that it is the season in the Church's year, which leads to Christmas. However, to better understand Advent, we have to understand the origins of Christmas, which was not celebrated by Christians until the fourth century. The pagans of that time saw the world as a great cosmic struggle between the powers of darkness and the powers of light. And they noticed that at different times darkness seemed to be getting more of the light, so to speak. They were watching, if you will, two great cosmic wrestlers and at this time of the year, it appeared that the wrestler called darkness would seem to be getting the upper hand because the days were getting shorter. At least until December 21, which is when they noticed that the tables were beginning to turn, and that the sun was regaining its strength. And so when they saw this happening on an annual basis, the pagans celebrated the resurrection, or the return of the light of the sun. It was a 'sun feast', marking the transition time from darkness to light.
When the Christians came along they took over this pagan notion. They said, 'It's a pretty good idea that you have got here, and after all, we know that if you are really talking about darkness and light, the only real darkness’s of this world are the darkness of sin and the darkness of death. And the only light in this world is Jesus. So we'll keep your ideas.”
But what the Christians did, as it were, they took the word 'sun' and they took out the middle letter, 'u,' and they changed it to 'o'. So the sun they were talking about was Jesus, the Son of God, and they made this time of year a celebration when we would get ready for the tables to be turned. In the great struggle, this was the time when sin and death would now be overcome by the light of the world, Jesus, the Son of God. So they called this time Christmas, and they made Advent the time of considering an end of darkness and looking forward to the coming light. Now about those liturgical colors.
Well in history, blue actually was the color often appointed for Advent in medieval times. In the Middle Ages, blue, purple, and even black were generally regarded as interchangeable, and when blue itself was specified it was often identified as indigo, a deep hue, not a pale one, symbolically suggestive, perhaps, of the darkness of night in which the world sleeps, before the dawn of the Son of Righteousness.
Now that we have learned that blue symbolizes the darkness of the night, I like to offer some practical suggestions on bringing more light into your life during the Advent Season. Here are a few suggestions.
Mend a quarrel.
Seek out a forgotten friend.
Dismiss suspicion.
Write a long overdue love note.
Hug someone tightly and whisper, "I love you so."
Forgive an enemy.
Be gentle and patient with an angry person.
Express appreciation.
Gladden the heart of a child.
Find the time to keep a promise
Make or bake something for someone else---anonymously.
Release a grudge.
Just listen, for a change.
Speak kindly to a stranger.
Enter into another's sorrow.
Smile. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more.
Take a walk with a friend.
Kneel down and pet your kitty or dog.
Groom your horse.
Read a poem or two to your mate or friend.
Lessen your demands on others.
Play some beautiful music during the evening meal.
Apologize if you were wrong.
Turn off the television and talk.
Treat someone to an ice-cream cone (yogurt would be fine).
Do the dishes for the family.
Pray for someone who helped you when you hurt.
Fix breakfast on Saturday morning.
Give a gentle answer even though you feel strongly.
Encourage everyone your meet.
Point out one thing you appreciate most about someone with whom you live or work
Immanuel watches over us as we reflect: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for the Lord.” (Isaiah 40:3).
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that we make Advent one long, extended gift of ourselves to others. Unselfishly. Without obligation. Or reservation. Or hypocrisy. After all, this is Christmas, isn't it?
