December 6, 2020

Photo Credit: Ryan Hutton on Unsplash

Is not this the fast that I choose:

to loose the bonds of injustice,

to undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

 and to break every yoke?   -Isaiah 58: 6-8a

It is no secret to this congregation—particularly to anyone who attended Spirituality in Isolation this summer or Morning Prayer this fall—that I love contemplative practices. Contemplative practices are as ancient as communal religion and individual spirituality. As we sit in silence or take a deep breath to ground ourselves, we unite our bodies and minds and imaginations with contemplatives across the centuries and across the globe. 

One of my favourite stories in the Christmas cycle is the visit of the magi in the Gospel of Matthew. This story is typically celebrated on the Christian festival of Epiphany (which is after Christmas so technically cheating for Advent but oh well). Over the years, church tradition has offered several accounts of who these magi were, but in my imagination, they are contemplatives or mystics from neighbouring cultures and kingdoms who spend their days and nights analyzing the cosmos for signs of paradigm shifts. It is their spiritual, sacred knowledge that draws them to Jesus’ side, and it is that same knowledge that warns them of King Herod’s homicidal intent toward this special child, born under unusual stars.

This year, we are living under unusual stars. And that is precisely why I have found myself gravitating toward contemplation. I see the signs, and I do not want to misunderstand them. 

In the Hebrew Bible, the prophets have this fantastic tradition of tearing the rituals and sacred ceremonies of their people to shreds. In Amos and Isaiah and Micah, the prophets insist that while injustice persists in their society, well-executed ritual is effectively pageantry. And so, as we prepare for the coming of the Christ child in 2020, may we seek rituals that move us toward justice. And may we find peace in that ancient imagination where the presence of God draws near. 

 Prayer: God of the galaxy—O Spreader of Stars, guide our steps through the long nights of this Advent season. Nurture in us an imagination for justice and peace. Amen. 

Davita DesRoches is a third-year divinity student at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. Her favourite Christmas carols are “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing.” and “Do You Hear What I Hear?”.