THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT | THE JOY OF PREPARATION
Today, our little house in the city will be filled with cooking and cleaning, baking and decorating - and later, the hustle and bustle of welcomes and greetings; and then, tonight, the great feast!
Among others, there will be empanadas, Spanish rice, African rice pudding, Jewish latke’s, a French Bûche de Noël, and the dangerously delicious authentic Mexican coquitos.
I am thankful for a friend and roommate who shares the same love of culture, diversity, and community. Naturally, we decided our Christmas party this year should be “Around the World” themed.
This deep reverence for diversity is something that has always been a part of me. I’ve loved culture from a young age, and only now can I look back and see how my fascination with certain experiences were only destined to culminate in an anthropology degree.
I can remember the International Faire in elementary school - the older students were assigned to research a country and set up a booth, while the younger students were led “around the world” throughout the student projects. This was one of my favorite days of the school year, and finally being able to research and lead my own booth as a 6th grader was even more exciting. Visiting Epcot in Disney World was like a dream, literally getting to visit multiple “countries” all in one day. My little sister wanted to see Mickey, and I wanted to go to Canada. My favorite movies were The Jungle Book, The Lion King, Aladdin, Pocahontas.
I could never quite put a name to the seemingly inherent fascination I’ve always had with culture; a paradoxical excitement and longing, mixed with a sense of comfort.
This past week’s contributions spoke of ancient promises, family trees, prayers and songs for future generations. David prayed a prayer of permanent blessing over his family, delighted and in awe of a God who promised to do so.
This week as I reflected on peace and promise and David’s conversation with God, I realized that this ever-present longing and fascination with humanity is indeed instinctual. Of course, it is.
For we have all been conceived in promise, and birthed into the Hope of Nations. The longing is in our blood.
We feel excitement because we are experiencing a part of Home already among us, accessible here and now. We can listen to other languages, eat food from each other’s homes, have conversations that span beyond borders or difference, share the traditions of Christmas with one another. We’ve been offered a taste of Home on earth - in our diverse neighborhoods, in cooking food and sharing recipes, in school projects, even through a child’s eyes at Epcot.
In moments like these, we are catching glimpses of the House our Father promised to one man long ago.
Yet still we yearn because this is only just a delicious taste of the glory and beauty and color and flavors to come.
A little baby boy was born so we could be grafted in to this eternal promise, and as we light the third candle this week, let us find joy as we prepare for His coming, and meditate on this prayer together:
“LABORING GOD,
WITH AXE AND WINNOWING FORK
YOU CLEAR A HOLY SPACE
WHERE HURT AND DESTRUCTION HAVE NO PLACE,
AND A LITTLE CHILD HOLDS SWAY.
CLEAR OUR LIVES OF HATRED AND DESPAIR,
SOW SEEDS OF JOY AND PEACE,
THAT SHOOTS OF HOPE MAY SPRING FORTH
AND WE MAY LIVE IN HARMONY
WITH ONE ANOTHER.
AMEN.”