Advent: Face the Darkness

As the days continue to get shorter and the busy-ness related to Christmas continues, I invite you to ponder these words about Advent:

"To practice Advent is to lean into an almost cosmic ache: our deep, wordless desire for things to be made right and the incompleteness we find in the meantime. We dwell in a world still racked with conflict, violence, suffering, darkness. Advent holds space for our grief, and it reminds us that all of us, in one way or another, are not only wounded by the evil in the world but are also wielders of it, contributing our own moments of unkindness or impatience or selfishness."- Tish Harrison Warren

As we enter this last week of Advent, I encourage you to read the whole article if you haven't already done so.

Being a pastor means showing up

The other day a student mentioned that I could borrow his sign for the climate change strike the next day. Because I was going to it, right?

My response was very non-committal. It's the end of the year and there's a ton of things that need doing. I didn't have time in the middle of a Friday afternoon to stand outside with a sign in front of the capitol building.

Except that I'd mentioned in our Bible studies that protests like this are one of the few ways that I, who is not a citizen of this country, can participate in speaking up about areas in which the choices of those in power have negatively affected those who are marginalized. So, if I really believe protests are a part of how I live out my life and seek justice, then I need to follow through: after all, if I'm not willing to inconvenience myself then it's hard to claim that something truly matters to me.

And so, I sent back a message. "I'll be there - and yes, I would love a sign. Thanks for asking and challenging me to come." Because being a pastor means not only showing up and joining others as they participate in new things (like protests) but also being willing to follow through on what I've said.