Advent Alphavet

 E = EMMANUEL

 

I’m a small town gal from a rural county…. those are my roots, it’s me.  During an organizing meeting this week with Community Health Organizers (CHO’s) in the Western PA rural counties someone shared that “city dwellers need to know the rural experience,” to which I shared, “I know it, those are my people. I’ve spent many days participating in that odd ritual of going to someone’s garage or barn, looking at a gutted, hung-up dead deer and exclaiming, ‘sure is a nice one.’”   Why one does that remains a mystery, yet daughters and siblings of hunters do it.

 

That introduction is to say that when attending college in downtown Pittsburgh I was very much out of my element.  I was scared. Uncomfortable.  I caught the bus each day and as I walked the Pittsburgh streets playing in my Walkman was the cassette of Amy Grant’s album, UNGUARDED.  I played over and over and over her song, “Everywhere I Go” as a rhythmic reminder that in the mean city streets I was not alone, yes, God was with me.

 

That is the faith statement of Christmas ---- Emmanuel, God with us.  That always brings me pause and awe and comfort…. God with me, with you, with our community, with our world.  Amazing.  Almost to the point of being so amazing why we hardly live as if it were so…….

.Advent Alphabet

 

D = DARKNESS and LIGHT

This year’s Hannukah celebrations and many synagogue leaders have commented that as the war rages they were making a point to bring as much light as possible into their celebrations; congregants are encouraged to come dressed in neon colors.    

 

I also understand the power of one candle. 

 

When I lived in Erie, I was often at the beach.  During one Summer Solstice celebration started at dusk, I lit my candle, placed it in the sand and went for a walk on the beach near the water line.  I walked for about 30 minutes, dusk became early nightfall and as I walked back to where my backpack and shoes were left, I paused. The light from one single, thin, 4-inch candle provided a wide circle of light that was noticed from 100 yards away. 

 

Many candles provide much light, of course.  Yet, one candle near the waters blazes. 

 

In these days one person with hope and a desire for peace can illumine the present moment.  Just one.  

 

C = CANDY

Rightly so, this season is one of cookies --- exchanges, trays, bake togethers, certain to put out when folks come to visit.  Trust me, I am a fan of cookies in any season, anywhere, anytime.  

 

Yet, let us also celebrate candy! 

 

Kudos to whomever realized the idea of the small candy cane --- perfect to hang over a mug of hot cocoa and melt into the chocolate.

 

Every year in my stocking was the “Book of Lifesavers,” an ingenious idea of a cardboard book-shaped container that held fiver rolls of Lifesavers.

 

Let every kid who ever wondered if getting coal instead of candy was a real thing for bad behaviors rejoice over the wonderful invention of coal candy, a lovely licorice-flavored treat complete with bucket and hammer!      

 

I am one who always carries in my pocket individually wrapped wintergreen lifesavers or other hard candies, most likely cinnamons or peppermints. I trace the beginning of this behavior back to the Christmas of my 10^thyear when my brother gifted me a two-pound bag of candy!  It was glorious!  All that hard candy --- the colors! The flavors!  Wonka himself never knew such bliss!