This reflection was written by Patricia Lisson for this week’s Wingèd Ox, a weekly news digest distributed to the college community. You will find reflections from previous weeks here.
The first Sunday of Advent, December 1st, kicks us into what seems to be a four-week rush to cross the finish line and win the race – Christmas perfect. We are caught in a social system of production and consumption, coercing us into believing that we must do more, buy more than our neighbour. Listening to folks it seems that Advent is more a time of heighten anxiety.
However, Advent offers us the opportunity to break free and relieve ourselves of the heavy-laden yoke of anxiety. During the four weeks leading up to Christmas, the spirit of Advent is inviting us not to go to shopping but light a candle, sit quietly, and reassess who we are, where we are going, and what it means to celebrate this ancient ritual: Christmas. Lighting the candle of hope is a moment to ponder, watch the flame flicker, and reflect on the meaning of hope in our lives. Is hope an invitation to move forward, or does it encourage us to remain still and contemplate?
Advent beckons us to reflect deeply, and to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit entering our souls. It gently subdues the anxiety that so often dominates the month of December, as we are pushed and pulled toward the commercial distractions of the Season.
Advent is a time to challenge the false gods that demand our allegiance, and light the candle of peace. The rush of economic enslavement—our endless pursuit of material gain—is not the pathway to peace. Instead, peace comes when we let go of these exterior pressures and embrace the deeper truth of the Season.
Lighting the candle of joy, we are invited to recognize the false promises of materialism. Advent encourages us to move out of our inner spaces of isolation and into a greater awareness of God’s love imparted within us.
The candle of love enables us to commit to loving and caring for our neighbors. This sacred love calls us to live out the last seven Commandments, which center on caring for our neighbors. When one makes choices, one should not prioritize personal gain but rather the health and well-being of the entire community. As Jesus taught us, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This commandment reminds us that the embodiment of love is not merely an internal sentiment but a lived action that transforms the world.
Advent as resistance invites us to embody hope, peace, joy, and love, living out the commandments in ways that create a healthier, more just, and loving community.
Patricia Lisson, Interim Director of United Church Studies