emmanuel

most often you come

in ways few would notice

not high and holy

but meek and lowly

a stable

a manger

a star

a teenage girl

small and quiet

hidden and lowly

humble and obscure

as if you wanted

to slip into your world

unnoticed

except by those

paying careful

attention

made perfect

heb. 2:10

what was it

about suffering

that made you perfect

for they seem

such odd bedfellows

yet in you the two

became one

was there something

in the lowering

and the emptying

and the taking on

of our flesh

that was necessary

for your becoming

or was it merely

the truest expression

of who you really are

was it something

about the sharing

of our humanity

that made you perfect

a desired union that

only shared suffering

could accomplish

whatever the case

if you were made

perfect through suffering

how could we expect it

to be any different

for each of  us

help us to accept

your invitation

to allow suffering

to do its work

in our hearts

and souls as well

return

mark 13:32-37

when i return

what condition

will my house be in

will you be

running around

picking clothes

up off the floor

quickly trying

to do the dishes

or fix the broken

shutters

frantically stuffing things

into closets

and underneath

the beds

or will you be ready

for my return

because all along

you lived as if 

today were the day

bridegroom

     matt. 25:6

will you be ready

when i come to you

today

for i am always

coming

will you have oil

for you lamp

will you be awake

and alert

will you come

out to meet me

or will you be

so consumed

by your own

issues and agendas

that you miss me

completely

light

you come

into our darkness

and we are finally

able to see

you illumine

and you uncover

you reveal

and you expose

by you we see

all that is beautiful

and all that is terrible

and we are invited

to become like you

coming

God has come.

God is continually coming.

God will come again.

This is the beauty of Advent.

Rejoice!

ready

stay on your toes

sit on the edge of your seat

keep your lamp burning

keep an eye on the horizon

keep your ears open

for the knock at the door

live in a state

of perpetual readiness

for advent has begun