I'm all alone, no one t'tell my troubles to
It's just another lonely Christmas, without you.
Christmas... I'm feelin' down,
Looking through my window, for you to come around--
but the only thing I see is the snow that's fallin' down..."
- G. Love "Christmas Blues"
For those of us who are deeply committed to social justice, we sometimes run the risk of ignoring the holy everydayness of ours and others' lives. Let's not get so lofty in our talk of religious and existential longings for justice and God's peace during Advent that we forget all the "ordinary" stuff for which we also long and wait. Health, jobs, centeredness, patience, relationships, wholeness... relationships. I say it twice because after all, for most people in the U.S. who were raised secular or casually Christian, Christmas is primarily about enjoying holiday cheer via parties, feasting, special events and present-giving. In other words: fellowship.
Even when our family, friends and loved ones drive us crazy, they leave their mark on our holidays. Even when we have had to walk away from family brokenness, create our home-places elsewhere, or reclaim our solitude as a sign of strength, we still operate on the power of our human connections. We are social creatures, and festival and holidays are things that, hopefully... sometimes... on a good day when the wind is fair... bring us together.
And while I may roll my eyes a lot of romanticized holiday pop songs for being silly or just plain creepy (can anyone say 'date rape'? I'm looking at you, "Baby, It's Cold Outside"...) it makes a lot of sense that we should name the desire for companionship, love and closeness with family and friends during a season where it's mostly just cold and dark. I'll Be Home for Christmas, isn't just saccharine sentiment. Most of us would rather not be nursing broken relationships, or be alone or lonely during the holidays, and I like songs that take that a little seriously, and a little tongue-in-cheek:
"Christmas Blues" by G. Love and Special Sauce
"yes there are times in life when we all need a second chance
yes there are times in life when we just can't stand to stand alone,
-- in a empty home --
So Happy Christmas, wherever you might be...
and on this Christmas time, I hope that you're thinkin' 'bout me --
Happy Christmas, Baby..."
So let's not be afraid to name the common, mundane, everyday things we hope and long for during these days of Advent as well. Certainly, we keep them in perspective with the most dire and pervasive issues in our world, but they are needs as real as anything else, and have their place in the order of things.
May we be gentle with ourselves in our daily brokenness and everyday dreams, and yet and still dare to draw close to friends and family this Advent: for companionship and love, for fellowship and grace, to share in the festive birth of Christ together.
- Anna
I'm recovering from a breakup I never thought would happen, and I'm still finding it hard to think about anything bigger than the hole in my own life, even while I know that Advent is "supposed" to be about our collective longing for wholeness. So thanks for this.
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