Alice asked the Cheshire Cat, “Would you please tell me which way to go from here”
And the cat smiled wryly “ That depends a great deal on where you want to get to?” Alice didn’t much care as long as she got somewhere to which the cat logically replied, then it didn’t matter which way she chose to go. To which the young Alice added as long as I get somewhere. Again the cat pointed out she was sure to do that if she would walk along enough.
The incident Lewis Carroll authored offers readers the opportunity to confront the paths we travel. Ones pursued as individuals based on a variety of influences and perspectives. The question raised by Carroll goes directly to whether we need to be intentional about choices of direction and purpose, or if we should let fate make choices for us. Alice appears to be headed in the latter direction.
Today we begin a new year in the Christian calendar with the first Sunday in Advent. Advent is usually portrayed as a time of waiting which in turn is a time of trial for the faithful who are asked to wait for the coming of the Christ child. This is the incarnation of God becoming human in real time, in human history. We are excited and amazed by the promise of Christmas. We can’t wait to see our present. Christians know the purpose and direction the season represents. Although we do not fully know the nature of the gift. If understanding is to come it will be through a life time of faithful living.
What does this have to do with Alice?
She is a child so we can give her some latitude in terms of taking responsibility. However she is clearly not interested in engaging in discernment of a best path, and she shows no awareness of a purpose other than wandering around.
By contrast Christian’s are asked to engage in deep spiritual exploration during Advent. We are expected to ask how to deal with the waiting. Implied in waiting is something important worth the waiting. So for what are we waiting and why is it important ?
History tells a number of stories to explain who we are and illustrates by various narratives human hope and purpose. The meaning of historical events are speculative. They tend to relate stories of power struggles in which the weak are murdered or put in bondage by the powerful. But the Christian faith is not speculating about the purpose and meaning of history. We are proclaiming the birth of a God-man in history whose presence demonstrates not only God’s faithfulness in keeping promises to humanity, but a future as hope fulfilled. It is also a direct contradiction to the common historical narrative — the folly of history.
What does this look like for us? We are not just wandering souls unsure of our direction and purpose. We are looking forward to meeting God in human form, and we are hoping to learn the way to follow Jesus into the future. We are hoping our eyes will be opened.
We are proclaiming humanity is in God’s hands. We are held, supported, loved and cared for by a personal God who connects with us. We are connected to God through Jesus; this connection brings the divine to earth in the flesh. We are called to live as Jesus lived, sacrificially. We are called to be fully human as Jesus was fully human; as Ireneaus wrote the glory of god is a fully flourishing human being.
So during Advent we should meditate on the coming of Christ. What does love personified in human history, fully engaging human experience in the flesh mean ?
Are we able to accept the tremendous responsibility as Christians to imitate Christ and seek him in all persons? This is not an easy faith and the call to embody Jesus life in our own lives is difficult. For we are descendants of Cain; and we want easy acceptance and a comfortable life. We doubt God’s presence when life gets hard. So we must use Advent to prepare ourselves for the future promised.
We wait because we can’t make God perform according to our wishes and dreams. God moves toward us in God’s good time. God calls to us from the future pointing to abundant life which is always a not yet. It will remain incomplete and unfinished until God raises the veil of time and reveals the divine to all.
Humans want it now. God says wait until we are able to embody abundant life in human history. Humans wonder if this is even possible. We seek personal comfort in our lives but never find complete satisfaction. Humans seek perfect satisfaction but are disappointed and easily disturbed by the nature of God’s gift. We are trapped in the world. In other words baby Jesus, a king born in a manger, no way this can be God. But it is the gift we receive, and it is a life of suffering with rare moments of happiness ending with a painful and humiliating death. Advent is a season to reflect on what is coming and a time to ask ourselves what are we to do when we don’t get the king hoped for, the one welding overwhelming power to make us safe and secure on earth. Instead a child, helpless at birth, prophetic in life, rejected by all, is given, exactly what we didn’t want, a call to responsibility. A demand that humans learn to care for one another as Mary cared for her child. So Advent asks us to reflect critically on our expectations and celebrate the gift as surprise. To ask, how are we to live into this gift creatively and faithfully.
We are not to wander aimlessly as Alice appears willing to do. We are to wait on the revelation of God’s presence among us and adjust our expectations to fit the reality of God’s will. This is the call of our faith. This is the story of God in history. It is a story that challenges the powers and principalities and requires a commitment to live accordingly. We cannot be Alice. We must act with purpose to embrace Jesus as God-man. We must learn to walk humbly with our God. No easy task! For we prefer our comfort not serving others.
We are not going to be given a king who will save us from earthly threats or make our lives safe and comfortable. If we did get such a king we would soon find ourselves under a tyrant who demanded under threat of torture and slavery our complete submission. Think back to the power struggles of the kings of Israel and of Israel’s conquers. Instead we are given God in the flesh, all too human, but a divine blessing because Jesus shows the way forward; Jesus is the truth. In fact, one and the same light. The life Jesus lived is human life perfected.
Jesus is the light showing the way to live into a world that missed the mark. Here the story gets starkly real and darkly human. For we are like Cain, who when disappointed and dissatisfied by the way his sacrifice was ill received, could not overcome envy and resentment at his brother’s approval. His anger led to him killing his brother. This is an individual version of human history which continues to be repeated at the tribal and national level in war and struggle to beat those who have what we most desire. It always seems to us the neighbor has what we want or need. And we are masters at justifying taking it from them.
It is our crime and punishment. Cain’s punishment of isolation from human society left him vulnerable and God marked him so he would not be an object of vengeance. Yet through God’s mercy, Cain succeeded in life like humans have over the sad course of history. Human history is one of struggle to conquer and dominate. We want God to show up on our side. We want God’s favor and are desperate to feel divine presence. We want to know in our hearts we are loved and held in divine hands. But not many of us do? Why not? Could it be the violence and fear Cain gave into blinds us from recognizing God’s favor?
In Advent we are invited to wait on the reality of God while meditating on our own lives as descendants of Cain. We are called to discern the reality of God’s grace.
Are you able to wait for God’s gift without disappointment? Are we Christians able to accept the Christ child as divine presence in the world of suffering? Are we able to live into that not yet?
May we stand up and walk into God’s future with faith and hope, practicing humility along the path we have chosen. THH
12/01/24
Thoughts Have Hands 