It is a brand new year. I am rather amazed at the
fact that it is the year 2014; nonetheless, I am energized about this New Year.
Here I sit on January 3 feeling a little jiggly ball
of anticipation in the core of my being. I have made a few resolutions for
myself and I do believe that it is the promise of change within me that is
creating the excitement.
December is such a difficult month for me. The days
are short and the hype is high and hope falls to its lowest. The light that I
see is full of glitter and neon. The commercial world screams to the rafters
about the latest gadget our loved ones have to have, the “happy holi-days” vs “Merry
Christmas” debate becomes a political, secular and spiritual battle and there
just doesn’t seem to be much time or energy for Advent, a season of waiting and
anticipation. Added to this year’s circus…college applications. Oh yeah…and two
new kiddos plus…well…let it be said that this was a seriously sad and sometimes
scary year.
Such over-abundance in too many; so much scarcity in
more. It left me all wadded up in a useless heap.
Well, not literally. But it did affect me seriously
with depression, anxiety…and all the crap that goes along with those things,
namely, a gigantic void empty of joy or hope.
So, it is with a good deal of joy that I relish this
little feeling of hope. I know it is growing. While sadness overwhelmed the
Christ-birth story, I do believe that this current feeling is of the
Christ-child/man himself and the things he did and said – more importantly –
the things he expected us to do and say.
My religious life at this particular age has been
fairly evenly split between time claimed as a Southern Baptist and time spent
as an Episcopalian. In all reality, I have been an Episcopalian far longer, being
confirmed in 1986 and stopped going to the Baptist Church closer to 1972 or 3.
Regardless, the point is, it has only been in the
last couple of years that I have begun to hear more clearly preachers preaching
on the teachings of Jesus. That is a great deal different that the “Jesus is
your Savior and died for your sins, you worthless piece of scum” and “God
rewards the righteous with wealth and good fortune and to the worthless – not
such good fortune and no wealth” messages that I have had ground into me. It
was always about the sacrifice of Jesus, my worthlessness and GAWD’s
retribution.
This year is different. I feel it. This is the year that
people are talking about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit; talking about change. Sara
Miles, Nadia Bolz-Weber and Pope Francis are in the news and on my radar. This
is the year that people will seriously address the issues that make people
homeless, that allow them to be hungry, and that cause people to spend hours
out of their week going around to different food pantries so that they can feed
their families. Finding food is their work.
The Daily Episcopalian recently posted an essay by
Sara Miles.
It is a serious message that is, in the words of Janis Joplin, “of great social
and political import.” We can no longer see ourselves as separate, above the
fray, outside of the oneness that God calls us into. What hurts one, hurts all.
Nadia
Bolz-Weber
is a breath of fresh air, bald honesty, and someone I would love to meet, just
to say I have met her. I know her language and brutal honesty make some cringe
but perhaps that one is the ear that needs to listen more closely. And Pope
Francis…well…it is a new day in the Church…rather; maybe it is an old day come
into the Light after a great many decades of decadence and dishonor to the
masses. In the mess that is politics and anti-justice and anti-mercy politicians,
these people offer me a sense of sanity, an indication that there are others
who think and feel the same way as I do. And their audience is large! There are those
who will listen to them and in the listening, be altered.
I know that not all people are as seriously affected
by the secular season of Christmas and short days of the winter. And I know I
am a little late coming to the celebration but it is, after all, still
Christmas if already the 10th day! Better late than never!
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host, praising
God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
Glory to God indeed who has lifted me from the void
of Sheol; who has nurtured within my heart that seed of hope; who has been with
me throughout this time. Thanks be to God for the goodness and mercy and most
of all…Joy.
Merry Christmas to all.
