Advent, a waiting

Advent
by Sr. Christine Schenk

I wait
with quickened hope
for crooked paths
to straighten,
with tough-soul’d
anguish,
while blinded
keepers of the keys
shut out
God’s own.

(If such a thing were possible.)

I wait,
and will not be
dismayed.

For tiny shoot
of Jesse tree
took root in me
to love
transform,
give sight
set free.

From Biola University's excellent daily web-based advent devotions. Access the art, music, scripture and thoughtful writings here: http://ccca.biola.edu/advent/#

We are also reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's God is In the Manger, on Kindle. "For the greatest, most profound, tenderest things in the world, we must wait.  It happens not here in a storm but according to the divine laws of sprouting, growing, and becoming. ....God is in the Manger, wealth in poverty, light in darkness, succor in abandonment. No evil can befall us; whatever men may do to us, they cannot but serve the God who is secretly revealed as as love and rules our world and our lives. "

And Richard Rohr's Preparing for Christmas (also on Kindle) : " it was the same suffering of the centurions servant that brought the centurion out of his comfortable house and that invited Jesus into that house! Suffering and solidarity with the suffering of others has an immense capacity to "make room" inside of us. It is probably our primary spiritual teacher".

Hope you're enjoying some challenging and comforting thoughts this season.

And don't forget Christ School (see below) tomorrow!