As we enter Advent, and I prepare for Christmas, I am struck this year by how Christmas is about mystery. The mystery at the heart of the cosmos. The mystery at the heart of the everyday and the ordinary.
One of the lessons of Advent is that we must prepare ourselves to experience that mystery. It doesn’t come easily. We need to train ourselves to look for the mystery and moments of grace in our lives – or we may pass by the stable door and never see the miracle happening inside.
We’ve lost some of that – I think. It seems as though Christmas in our world begins at Halloween – I heard carols played as background music in stores on November 1st. And in the media it seems as if Black Friday and Cyber Monday are bigger holidays. Not only does this dilute the power of Christmas, but it moves our focus away from the miracle and mystery of Christmas. Sure we need to prepare – prepare by rushing out and buying, or – as in one current commercial – getting hand cramps from ordering so much online. Where’s the mystery in that? Where is the hope? Where is the wonder?
As we wrap up our presents, trying to make ordinary things look special and mysterious – the wonder of Christmas is that something special and mysterious is given to us in the ordinary wrapping of a human baby in a manger. If holy mystery can come to us in such a form – where else might we find it if we are prepared to look?
