I just read a few sentences about the darkness of winter being the womb of God. That is interesting and intriguing. I for one have been trying to come to grips with the darkness of winter, to somehow play along with it and prosper. There must be a way to work with it and receive it’s gifts. There must be a way to work with it and further God’s plan maybe is the way to look at it.
Last evening I watched a whole feature length film in the Polish language. I grew up hearing Polish from my Mother, her sisters and my Grandmother but now I remember two or three words. This film is entitled Faustia and is the story of Faustia the Polish nun and her visions of Christ. I captured what I could capture or I understand what I could understand giving the language gap. It was a beautiful movie visually but I must get back to her story in some depth as I sense there is much there.
As I try to get closer to the Advent story these are things that I bump into. Are these things helping me to move in closer? There is so much that I don’t know, or understand or have little experience with. There seems an endless richness though to explore.
I’ve picked up two guides to help me in thei Advent quest. One, that I received at church is The Magnificat Advent Companion which is day by day companion. And the second is Rejoice – Advent Meditations with Joseph. This is a day by day guide with the perspective of Joseph. This is interesting shift. So, maybe some of you are also following one or both of these also. Let me know if and when you have an important moment with them.
OK, Wednesday calls.
on the horizon loves, Felipé.
Yeah- the Season of Darkness. Since my son Peder lived on the Navaho rez many years ago and filled me in on a lot of their traditions, I’ve seen winter darkness as a time to be more spiritually integrative than spiritually sponge-like. That is, a time more about integrating and understanding the input, learning, trials and victories we’ve had than about discovering new things, new monster-insights or info or perspectives that we so relish most of the year. It can be a time to be more quiet and introspective in an an internal, muted ‘ah-ha’ way; a time to realize and ultimately rejoice in the changes within ourselves that may have occurred without due recognition and gratitude from us; a time to learn to walk with the talk of whatever enlightening learning we’ve devoured over the last spring/summer/fall – since the light began to lengthen in January. A time to prepare for the light to re-emerge, to embrace it with the capacity to see and absorb all it may bring as we are reborn to noticing with eyes of wonder, to a new awareness. With that may come a capability of receiving more, spiritually, by virtue of having ‘re-read the assignment and done the homework’ so to speak.
Ok, maybe not the best metaphor, but maybe it is a time for mostly reflective, internal work, the necessary preparation to open up more uncluttered space within us to be able to receive whatever gifts may come our way as the light returns. A time of serious work and also of great anticipation for whatever wisdom and joy lie ahead.
Wowie Zowie Steve-O ~ What about I just reprint that tomorrow on the blog. Like that so much especially about rereading the assignment. Saw Greg M today, he flagged me down to say hello.
We are all thinking of you. Felipé.
Reading Steve-O’s comments here, as well as many of the “regulars”, I find I often feel like Charley Brown in one of Charles Schulz’s comics. Linus and Charlie are lying on their backs viewing the clouds. Linus launches into a lengthy description of what he sees in the drifting shapes far above. His detailed description involved crenelations, parapets, and ionic columns. Charlie timidly admits, “I thought I saw a dog”.
The dark and cold months represent “Rest” to me, the inveterate farmer. The soil rests for two thirds of its life, after pulsing life into the crops that we have planted into it for four heat-soaked months. It is, however, a “productive” rest, as the microbes and the minerals and the moisture do their intricate weaving to incorporate all the previous years organic matter into new fuel for future growth. This break is as essential to the soil as our nightly trips to our own beds. We both must have the “Rest” to be able to resume. Long hours of darkness are conducive to such (non) activity. And as the animal side of nature “bulks up” for their long winter’s hibernation, we also provide food for the soil as well, replacing at a bare minimum the nutrients we removed with this year’s crop.
That seems to jibe well with Steve-O’s “A time of serious work and also of great anticipation for whatever lie ahead”.
PFJ ~ Yes. I am seeing tiny movements on a huge broad scale. Yes, I need to be more involved with that. The whole land is resting and recharging. Yes. I personally need to plug into this mode. I am tired of my standard, “getting through the winter” mentality. I am trying to find a way to laugh with it, dance with it. Hello to the fam, Felipé.