Advent isn’t about chocolate

Posted by admin on Nov 27, 2010 in Issues & Ideas | 0 comments

All too quickly the significance of Christmas is lost through the chaotic shopping frenzy, for as Christmas has been reduced to chocolate calendars and a single day composed of gift giving and over-eating, the meaning is diminished.

Is Advent an outdated tradition? Or does it have relevance for us today? Is it merely another item in a long Christmas “to do list,” or does this tradition hold some value?

Advent allows for moments of reflection and anticipation. It slows the chaos that can so easily be created around this time, and in doing so it allows for moments of contemplation.

In churches and homes Advent is celebrated with the lighting of a candle each Sunday prior to Christmas. The candles symbolize hope, joy, peace, and the Way. The fifth candle, the candle of Christ, is placed in the center of the Advent wreath and lit on Christmas day. Though these actions are simple they allow for moments in which our hearts are silenced.

With upcoming final exams and frequent trips to the shopping mall, the month of December can easily become a game of juggling priorities. It is difficult with a busy schedule to find for time reflection; however, Advent is an act of intentionally quieting our hearts before Christmas Day.

Advent holds a duel meaning. It is a time of remembrance in which we look back upon the incarnation of Christ in an attitude of reflection. It is also a time to acknowledge the second coming, and to look forward to it with great anticipation. . Stephanie A. Paulsell, a Professor at Harvard Divinity, said advent “sings out across the church we are invited to learn to be led by our wakeful hearts, to nudge our inner and outer lives into closer alignment.”

Advent reminds us that God is near, and is a pertinent reminder of where our focus should be this holiday season.