A Christmas tree has been carefully setup in the hallway,
songs from our Christmas program are on our children’s lips, and the twinkle of
festive lights warms the atmosphere in the The Learning Spot. The
first moments of advent are exciting at a Christian school – but is that
because it is familiar and comfortable like a warm cozy blanket, or is it a
rush of hope and help like a strong beam of a lighthouse cutting through the
fog of a fallen and often dark world? How do we approach advent each year as
something that is new and meaningful? A writer I follow, Chris Schoon, shared this over the
weekend and I thought it too good to hold on to myself. Allow me to share:
“….faces and hands
pressed against the frosty window, our kids keep watch for that first glimpse
of red brake lights lighting up, while Grandma’s burgundy Honda slows, making
the turn into our driveway. Any moment they will abandon their post in a flurry
of singular delight: “Grandma is here! Grandma is here!” The ensuing mad
scamper of children dashing through living room and dining room, then kitchen
and back hall will leave couch cushions crumpled, once neatly folded blankets
askew, and our pets in a confused scurry, unsure of whether they should hide
under the table, join the joyful delight, or courageously defend our door.
In a way, our kids’ anticipation,
rooted in the memory of Grandma’s previous visits, fills the Advent season as
we both remember Jesus Christ’s birth and anticipate his second coming. These
rhythms of remembering and anticipating provide the primary cadence for this
season. Advent is neither a nostalgic longing for a past that has been lost nor
a naïve fixation on a utopia that remains always out of reach. Rather, by
looking back at what God has already done and looking ahead at what God has
promised yet to do, Advent roots us deeper in the assurance that God is with us
– even here, even now.” (http://muddiedprayers.com)
Our participation in all things Christmas at LCES is so much
more than lights, carols, and chocolate. We celebrate the gift of a first-born
son, given to redeem this world that our students study. We praise God for the
gift of a Saviour whose grace allows them find their place on earth to use
their gifts and talents. As part of advent we delight in the promise that he will come again and that
he makes "all things new."(Revelation 21:5)
Now that is something new worth celebrating!
(SJ)
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