“You’ve got to have hope.”

Tomorrow marks the first Sunday in Advent, a time when the seasonal words of hope, peace, joy and love will echo through our homes and shopping centers and places of worship. Without even thinking about it, our lips will form the words of old familiar Christmas carols. If ever there was a time when the blessing accompanying these words was needed, it is now. Yet, we seem confused about to how to embody these themes.

Streetlights respond to the change in natural light, illuminating the darkness and the glow of decorative light on trees and rooftops and windows, issuing an invitation for its radiance to shatter the darkness.  We are quick to repel the dark yet our eyes focus on the stars in the night sky, whose beauty and depth and mystery can only be seen through the darkness.

Haven’t each of us at some point stumbled through the darkness of life? Times of grief, fear and isolation keep us from feeling those seasonal themes in the depth of our being. How easy it is when all seem ready to disregard the words of hope. Hope is not a problem solver on its own, however. Hoping for change without making change happen is kind of like leaving the solution to someone else. Doing nothing is one response, but taking action can really change our reality.

We yearn to hear the inspiring story of the baby, the parents, the angels, the journey, the gifts. We look for our children to appear in the pageants with tinsel halos and striped bathrobes as they animate a sweet version of the story of the nativity.  Sweet they may be, yet the essence of the story is rarely captured in those scripted moments.  Despite what merchandising presents, Advent is counter cultural.  The scripture readings set for Advent express themes of  end times. The images are full of fear and darkness, and bewilderment about the future. Maybe, our hearts do resonate with these themes. Maybe, it needs to be dark for us to appreciate the light. We may need to feel these moments to some extent, before we can clearly see the promises offered though the commitment to hope, peace, joy and love.

The threat of end times so real in the daily accounting of the state of the world really is at the heart of the Christmas story. It is into this deep darkness that a word of hope, a gesture of peace, an expression of joy and an act of love really can be felt.

Each of those words has a verb connected, an action attached, or an invitation to participate. The essence of Christmas is found in the giving of these things, deeply rooted in the Christian story, yet generic to many faith traditions and known to those who just want to live in a better world. I choose to focus on the actions as I prepare for the blessings of Christmas this year and invite you to explore with me a faith for today.
Rev. Donna Tourneur ministers among the people of Trinity United Church in New Glasgow.