Maybe I’m getting old…okay I am getting old. This struck me the other day as I was driving into work and saw multiple people working feverishly on their smart phones while they were driving.
That sight got me to thinking about my younger years. Back then the only way you received messages was via “snail” mail, an actual phone call (with phones that people used only in their homes), or a note that was folded into a triangle or square and passed around the classroom with great trepidation due to the chance of the teacher catching the contraband.
Generally speaking one had to wait for such communication, usually with some type of anticipation, which added to the importance of each message. Because of this heightened value we typically put thought into our messages – carefully crafting them in order to insure that our intended recipient received the proper message.
In our modern society we do not need to wait, as every method of communication is, for the most part, instantaneous. Every message seems fueled by the desire for instant gratification with no sense of wonder, no paused moments full of anticipation.
One can see this same mentality during the “shopping season” which leads into Christmas. How many Facebook statuses on Black Friday bragged “I went shopping…and bought things for myself?” In a season (especially for the Christian) that is supposed to be fueled by the desire to give to others, we find an antithetical message of taking care of me first. Again, no pausing and waiting with anticipation for what others may have sacrificed to buy or make for me…I’ll take care of it myself and allow the others to pile on that "holiday" at the end of the month.
Our faith, counter-culturally, challenges us to embrace the joy that can be found in anticipation. This is the message of the Advent season. Stop. Listen. Be aware of God’s presence. Wait expectantly for His coming among us again as we wait joyfully to celebrate the Incarnation when God “pulled back the curtain and revealed His love for the heart of man” (Chapman, Precious Promise).
It is not too late to embrace the spirit of this holy season. It is not too late to shed the shackles of entitlement and instant gratification for the “yoke” that Christ offers us, which leads to rest and peace. It is not too late to enter into Advent and wait with joy-filled anticipation for the gifts prepared for you, the most important of which is the gift of Jesus Christ, most powerfully manifested in the Eucharist, which is the Real Presence of Christ.
That sight got me to thinking about my younger years. Back then the only way you received messages was via “snail” mail, an actual phone call (with phones that people used only in their homes), or a note that was folded into a triangle or square and passed around the classroom with great trepidation due to the chance of the teacher catching the contraband.
Generally speaking one had to wait for such communication, usually with some type of anticipation, which added to the importance of each message. Because of this heightened value we typically put thought into our messages – carefully crafting them in order to insure that our intended recipient received the proper message.
In our modern society we do not need to wait, as every method of communication is, for the most part, instantaneous. Every message seems fueled by the desire for instant gratification with no sense of wonder, no paused moments full of anticipation.
One can see this same mentality during the “shopping season” which leads into Christmas. How many Facebook statuses on Black Friday bragged “I went shopping…and bought things for myself?” In a season (especially for the Christian) that is supposed to be fueled by the desire to give to others, we find an antithetical message of taking care of me first. Again, no pausing and waiting with anticipation for what others may have sacrificed to buy or make for me…I’ll take care of it myself and allow the others to pile on that "holiday" at the end of the month.
Our faith, counter-culturally, challenges us to embrace the joy that can be found in anticipation. This is the message of the Advent season. Stop. Listen. Be aware of God’s presence. Wait expectantly for His coming among us again as we wait joyfully to celebrate the Incarnation when God “pulled back the curtain and revealed His love for the heart of man” (Chapman, Precious Promise).
It is not too late to embrace the spirit of this holy season. It is not too late to shed the shackles of entitlement and instant gratification for the “yoke” that Christ offers us, which leads to rest and peace. It is not too late to enter into Advent and wait with joy-filled anticipation for the gifts prepared for you, the most important of which is the gift of Jesus Christ, most powerfully manifested in the Eucharist, which is the Real Presence of Christ.
May this embracing of the final days of Advent bring a greater awareness of God's grace in all our lives and a spirit of selflessness which is the true spirit of the Christmas season which will soon be upon us.
P.S. By the way there is a practical reason for showing some restraint when it comes to the addiction of texting and instant messaging while driving. You will save your life and mine.
Michael Lavigne
No comments:
Post a Comment