When we say we’ll wait
we advent people – for
what, for whom, do we
wait? For You, O God –
of course – but what
does that mean? When
I wait for You, what am
I waiting for?
Rescue? Only a very silly
woman awaits a rescue
which has already come
Peace? Already given
Love? Already bestowed
Perfection? Already present
You? Already here . . . and
gone . . . and done . . . and
back again
To die? Nay
To live? Now we get
somewhere
so long as I remember
to live in the waiting
to live
to meet in the waiting
to meet
to get in the waiting
to get
to give in the waiting
to be given
Maybe advent’s more like a summer picnic at Grandma’s house than Christmas morning – Christmas morning has us looking forward to the presents as well as The Presence and sometimes (often?) the one outshadows the other.
But a summer picnic at Grandma’s – there, presence is the present, as we all gathered round, forming and reforming into smaller groups of the whole . . . caught up . . . hugged up . . . loved up . . . and out came the memories in story and pictures and we all gathered round to listen and look, to relive and remember, to smile and cry and huddle in . . .
This . . . yes – this together, gathering round time . . . this is what we waited for and it was the who of us all along.
we advent people – for
what, for whom, do we
wait? For You, O God –
of course – but what
does that mean? When
I wait for You, what am
I waiting for?
Rescue? Only a very silly
woman awaits a rescue
which has already come
Peace? Already given
Love? Already bestowed
Perfection? Already present
You? Already here . . . and
gone . . . and done . . . and
back again
To die? Nay
To live? Now we get
somewhere
so long as I remember
to live in the waiting
to live
to meet in the waiting
to meet
to get in the waiting
to get
to give in the waiting
to be given
Maybe advent’s more like a summer picnic at Grandma’s house than Christmas morning – Christmas morning has us looking forward to the presents as well as The Presence and sometimes (often?) the one outshadows the other.
But a summer picnic at Grandma’s – there, presence is the present, as we all gathered round, forming and reforming into smaller groups of the whole . . . caught up . . . hugged up . . . loved up . . . and out came the memories in story and pictures and we all gathered round to listen and look, to relive and remember, to smile and cry and huddle in . . .
This . . . yes – this together, gathering round time . . . this is what we waited for and it was the who of us all along.
Good Morning! Thank you for another provocative start to another day. May this day bring you joy as we "Buddha" forward to that particular birthday.... Shalom
ReplyDeleteTara - I love the image of 'Buddha-ing' forward - now that's a journey worth the taking! Hugs, Beth
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