Faces on Faith: Through the eyes of a child
The beautiful and glorious season of Advent (from the Latin word for “coming” ) is once more upon us and again, I rejoice that my religious heritage encourages me to immerse myself in the spiritual preparation of these four sacred weeks – even as the commercial season attempts to redirect us, blow-up images of Santa and other characters distract us from the message, and Hollywood-style Christmas music fills the airways. Once again, as the earthly days become darker, our hearts and souls attempt to let God’s hope-filled light enter into our very beings. Each Sunday as we light more and more candles on the Advent Wreath in the darkness of the church nave, the light of Christ’s presence is invited to dispel any earthly darkness. Even in the millions of Christmas lights going up everywhere on the island, I try to hold that spiritual light as an image. From Isaiah 2: “Come let us lighten the world with the brilliance of your birth, offering salvation to all.”
In these times of divisiveness, struggle and instability on our fragile planet, the continual fear and violence going on in so many parts of the world, the abject poverty that we seek to address, but need to do more, and the trials and tribulations of our own personal lives, I once again discover hope and healing in the scripture offered to us during Advent. From Isaiah 11: “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.”
What an image of the wolf and the lamb! What a dream that God has for humanity. What a message to us to help create the Kingdom of God right here on earth and not simply relegate the Kingdom to a surreal place in the heavens. What an invitation from Isaiah for all of us to work at restoring peace in our country and in the world – a world as St. Paul’s put it, “groans in travail.” Whether you are of the Christian tradition or not, what power there can be in using the image of a child to lead us where we need to go. The symbol of a child – those human beings at the age of pure discovery and innocence and lack of beguilement. Eyes wide open and all things possible. Untainted by dark times, broken hearts, or jealousy. Small children – ever hope-filled. “And a child shall lead them.”
Some of the first Gospel images of Jesus are of a child – not an adult – and sadly, we don’t know much about that time he lived. However, perhaps during this time of Advent, we can all try to see with the “eyes of a child” and honor that sacred child within us. That child we’ve put away or forgotten. That child with wide-eyed possibilities and untainted hearts. That child in us that compels us as adults to believe that goodness is more powerful than evil, hope will triumph over despair, and only we, through the grace and mercy of God, are able to help calm all the wolves in our lives – real or symbolic – to lie down with the lambs of hope and healing. When you see all the twinkling lights on the islands during this season of Advent, try thinking of yourself as lightening the world around you. Even just one small light bulb illuminates a large space.
-Rev. Dr. Ellen Sloan, Rector, St Michael and All Angels