For all whose celebrations are incomplete
Advent means arrival:
Eager excitement,
Is it time? Almost!
Anticipated gatherings,
Laughing, loving, celebrating together.
And for every arrival, a departure,
Some embarking
On strange new ways,
With feet as heavy as hearts,
Not ready to walk through these days apart.
Advent means preparing:
Out comes the tree, the tinsel, the star and the angel,
Secretive present-wrapping: no peeking!
Sneaky recon missions to assess that oddly shaped package with my name on it,
Just be patient…
But patience is not a virtue for those left behind,
With fewer packages now to wrangle;
Grief must navigate noisy, joyous crowds,
Where festive muzak bleats all around, oblivious to their aching,
As they trudge lonely to Bethlehem.
Yet still there is a star, leading us home,
And angels sing of wonder.
Still there is peace:
Not merely a serene and silent night
But faintest gleams of light
Leavening our darknesses.
Though swords still pierce our hearts,
Christ is born, Word made flesh,
Bearer of sorrows as well as sins,
Seeking residence among our mess,
That though we may reach the manger
Burdened, broken, unprepared…
He waits for us there.
On 28th November I arrived in the UK to join my husband, to begin our new adventure, and leaving behind all our family and friends in Australia. So Christmas this year looks rather different for us. On 2nd December my friend Mel asked me if I might have a piece suitable for her church’s special service for those experiencing loss and grief at Christmas. So I wrote this, which also helped process some of my own mixed feelings about a festive season on the other side of the world from (almost) all my loved ones. On 14th December, fifteen people died in the horrific attack at Bondi Beach, as a celebration of the Jewish festival Hanukkah was taking place. Hanukkah is a festival of light, of hope, of peace, as is Christmas. While beliefs may differ, shared hope remains, and my prayer is that anyone grieving through this season would find glimmers of light amid the darkness, bringing ‘tidings of comfort and joy’ – and thus find peace.
[Photo by David Monje on Unsplash]
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