By Sr. Doreen, SSJD
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. They lived in a land of shadows, but now light is shining on them.” (Isaiah 9:2)
This year I thought pondering the journey of the Magi, a long journey of individuals from several faraway places to Bethlehem, might enrich my own Advent journey to Christmas. Like the Magi, the wise ones, we follow a Star, and are called to shine like stars for others, to lead both ourselves and others to that Someone whose unconditional and tenacious love can change the world.
In a wonderful novel written by Norah Lofts called “How Far to Bethlehem” she portrays the Magi in what I found to be very helpful ways. In her novel Melchior, an aged astronomer, left his home in Korea (6000 miles from Bethlehem) to follow the star which was to lead him to his goal. Following what he called the Star of the stars, he knew it would be a difficult journey, destination unknown, deserts, mountains, rivers, wild animals, robbers, places where war was being waged – all these hazards, but his courage did not fail. Only one thing mattered for Melchior, that he gets there in time, and tells what he knows, what the stars had told him. He believed he would know the way as he went. For Norah, Melchoir knew truly why he was making the journey. The other two, Gaspar the warrior from Mongolia and whom Melchior met in a town called Jexal (700 miles from Bethlehem) and Balthazar the eunuch black slave whom he met in Edessa (400 miles from Bethlehem), became travelers with him by coincidence. As they travelled together, with all their many differences, they became at last joined in a common belief, led to the feet of the infant Christ.
We don’t often consider the long journey, the difference and difficulties that this journey, and any journey really, my own journey in faith and yours, and what we learn and encounter along the way. Their world and ours seemed not too different. Our world today, my friends, seems so bleak and frustrated and tired and worn out, so violent and torn apart. We seem to live in a world that is more focused on hate and separation, focused on ‘me’ rather than ‘we’. In a very real way, we have been conditioned from birth to believe in a ‘them’ and an ‘us’, something that has caused us to pay attention to differences and separations. In the midst of all of this, I began to wonder what Advent, like the characters in Norah Loft’s story wondered. The story about following a star, what might it mean in my ordinary day-to-day life. Like the Magi, there are probably signs of God’s presence, encounters inviting harmony, all around me but I am sure that I miss some of those signs, and I find it hard to notice signs of God’s presence in the daily round of things and in the messes of daily life and the world. I want to follow God, whatever that looks like and wherever it leads, but I know how often confusion and distractions get in the way. I also know that sometimes fear holds me back when circumstances lead me into unlikely and out of the way places, even when I know that God is present there, and everywhere.
I believe this Advent we, you and I, like the Magi, are called on our journey to choose the hard road of connection rather than separation, to create a glimmer of possibility of something new, as we walk towards that Someone who can change the world. What is my journey going to be like this Advent? What is your journey going to be like this Advent? How can Advent be a time of building bridges that nurture relationships, of not saying things that destroy relationships simply because I feel I have a just cause. How do we live with disagreements? Disagreements that are a fact of life. How do we live together with differences? According to Micah 6:8, ‘the Lord requires people to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.’ Perhaps this Advent we are being called to journey with two hard truths: with humility and love instead of fear. This was so evident in Norah Lofts’ story as these very different Magi traveled and learned the hard way of choosing connection rather than separation, to share humbly together, in love rather than in fear.
Humility: an ability to see oneself realistically, to trust in God’s grace, to love rather than to aim for achievement, to the realization that all are worthy of our love and our relationship, that there is more than one way. As Joan Chittister in one of her daily meditations put it “Humble people walk comfortably in every group. No one is either too beneath them or too above them for their own sense of well-being. They are who they are, people with as much to give as to get, and they know it. And because they’re at ease with themselves, they can afford to be open with others… Having discovered who we are and having opened ourselves to life and having learned to be comfortable with it, we know that God is working in us. We know, most of all, that whatever happens we have nothing to fear… we are free of the false hopes and false faces and false needs that once held us down.”
Fear: to make a determined choice to love over fear: this is an Advent challenge! To choose love over fear by embracing all the many things that we usually find difficult or are afraid of: vulnerability, cultivating empathy and compassion, choosing acceptance, nurturing communication and collaboration, and cultivating a growth mindset. Perhaps you can think of other difficult emotional responses. I believe that we can create an environment where love can thrive. In choosing love over fear, we can come slowly but surely, one little step at a time, to see that differences are not intended to separate or to alienate but that we are different to discover that we need each other. it is so true in life that when we see others are an enemy, when we fear because we are different, we really risk becoming what we hate, what we don’t want to be. Choosing love over fear I can see that my own humanity really depends on recognizing humanity in others. Bishop Tutu and his daughter Mungi spoke of this in a different way.
“A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.” ― Desmond Tutu
“If we are able to see ourselves in other people, our experience in the world will inevitably be a richer, kinder, more connected one. If we look at others and see ourselves reflected back, we inevitably treat people better. This is ubuntu.” – Desmond Tutu and Mungi Ngomane his granddaughter.
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. They lived in a land of shadows, but now light is shining on them.” (Isaiah 9:2) This Advent if we choose connection instead of separation – we know for sure that God is giving us the gift of a ministry of reconciliation and peace-making not division. Friends, a star is shining in the sky, there is a glimmer of possibility of something new. Unknown. And if we open our lives up to it, if we take one step and then another, and if we invite some friends along with us, it just might change everything, one little step at a time! Hope is a strong gift. God’s promise to be with us gives us hope for the future. “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Isaiah 40:31) On my Advent journey I will try to be faithful to my commitment to choose connection over separation.
Joyce Rupp in ‘Fragments of Your Ancient Name’ writes what for me will be an Advent prayer:
“Into the din or our inner confusion, You come, gentle as a single snowflake.
Into the rush of our continual hurry, You come, slow as a melting icicle.
Into the pressure of endless activity, You come, easy as restful breathing.
Into the constant voices of demand, You come, silent as a falling star.
Quiet One, restorer of stillness, You are present, waiting to be welcomed.”
