Eureka (Ben Lee)

image courtesy of Myke Christoffel

If there had been a nightly news circuit in the time of Jesus' birth - an online newsfeed for the Holy Land - I wonder if Mary and Joseph would have been reading and shaking their heads in as much dismay as we do now:

'Can you believe it? This is not a good time to raise a child! It's like our culture thrives on divisiveness, argument, and scapegoating. How can a child grow up anything other than weary and jaded in a time like ours?'

And yet Jesus came, and was born into a world of divisiveness and social strife. He was born into an occupied land under an oppressive regime dealing with many radical discontents - a time and culture vastly different, and yet strangely similar to our own.

One of the common ways U.S. society, at least, enjoys creating divisiveness and strife is around the "science versus faith debate." Yet most major faiths agree with the fundamental concept behind one of the most revolutionary science theories of the 20th Century: Einstein's Theory of Relativity. For the non-science savvy person like myself it boils down to understanding that all energy and matter are interrelated. Everything - everything - is intertwined. We are not only inseparable from each other and our surroundings, but from even the farthest star in the cosmos.

We're All in this Together perf. Ben Lee. Lyrics HERE.

The fact that we're all in this together is not a new concept, but it's a Eureka moment when we realize that it's more than just a nice idea. It's the bedrock of our survival and thriving, and frankly, it's just scientific fact according to quantum physics. Jesus tried to get the message of our fundamental unity across his whole life, saying, "whosoever does this to the least of these does it to me," and "do unto others as you would have them do unto you," and really tried to drive it home in John 16:

 "This is my command, love each other."  - John 16: 17

It can't get much clearer than this, but somehow we forget to not only love one another, but even to really notice one another. We are all in this together, not because we have the same troubles, but because we acknowledge that we share in a common struggle through our days. We are imperfect, broken, frequently cynical or downtrodden. We are also strong beyond measure when we come together.

We Resist the Sleep when we refuse to believe the lie that we are isolated, freakish, or worthless. We Seed the Hope when we joyfully proclaim to one another that, "You're made of atoms, I've made of atoms... and we're all in this together!" 

Loneliness and a sense of isolation are a part of the human experience, and Jesus never promised that he would cure these feelings, or that being God-with-Us would resolve all suffering and loss in the here and now. What he did promise was, "Lo, I am with you until the end of the age." In other words, 'we're all in this together.' Together -- even with God-in-Christ, who does not separate from creation but draws closer, now and always.

Where do you need to feel "in this together" with others during this Advent season?

May your journey be marked by strangers and friends who come up alongside you in the twilight, listening to your need, being supported by your presence in turn, each and all sharing pilgrimage into the dawning day.

                                                                                                                                         - Anna



**This week, we'll take YOUR suggestions for what songs help you Seed the Hope or Resist the Sleep. Post a YouTube link with your thoughts and we'll re-post them all on our Saturday post.**