I love celebrating Advent. With apologies, I am writing on Day 2 as I begin this time of Advent reflection.
What is Advent? It is the celebration of the "arrival", the "coming" - from the Latin word, "Adventus". It is that time of the year that the church around the world comes together to proclaim together Jesus' advent into the world. He who was equal to God "emptied" himself and came as an infant male child, born of the virgin Mary and of Joseph his father...WHY? Because "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son..."
The Advent season begins with festive preparation. The day after Thanksgiving Linda and I venture out into the country to a favorite farm and go Christmas tree "hunting".
We talk every year of "what kind" of a tree do we want? The space we have is partly the issue, but we're looking for that "perfect" tree to decorate the space. Along with the tree, the village goes up. The village is the representation of a time when life was slower and community meant you knew everyone, and everyone participated in the seasons together...planting, growing, hoeing and weeding, harvest time and leaves to rake.
I remember raking leaves into huge piles and then after playing them for days on end, we'd rake them again and set them on fire. I still cannot go down a country road and ignore the smell of burning leaves
There's lights that get hung up outside and decorations on the tables and mantles, and finally the Advent wreath is in place.
IT'S ADVENT TIME...
There's Christmas music in the air and a wood fire, and the cold and shortened days are leading up to the greatest day of news to mankind...a savior is born, Christ the Lord.
What glory, what wonder, what joy in human kind. And, this is only day 2!