An Invitation to Hope

 

It’s Advent, and so we wait, hope thick in the air.

Come, take 5 minutes to pause, to indulge in creating a sacred space. Open your eyes, and let’s be aware of the holiness together.

Light a candle.  Play this song, letting the words and instruments soak in your soul as you read, and let’s spend a few minutes together, dreaming, imagining, hoping.

Hope is opening our eyes to the wonder of God.  Being willing, like the wise men, to endure a hard journey, long days, seeking the promise.  Trusting that goodness is present.  That the King really will be found.

 **********

Walk through the gates of grace.

The walls of life await you, you who are so captivated by hope it has captured and enraptured you.

Your king is coming to you, even now.

Peer carefully at the things of this world.

He resides in the common.

Mustard seeds.

Yeast.

Dirt.

Donkeys.

Modest, even discreet, sometimes seemingly cloaked in invisibility.  Dare to hope.  He is here, and he is coming.

See, a world without violence is coming.  Peace will be everywhere, and can be everywhere, even now.

The strong and mighty one is keeping watch over you.  Rejoice in this strength that guards your hope.

The walls of despair may encircle you, but in blood, redemption.  In blood, hope.  The blood of sacrifice, the blood of birth, the mess of life, incarnated, made divine.

Sublime.

Rest in the strength.

Believe in the humility.

He is unassuming, waiting to be seen, patient to be found.

So open your eyes.

See the pinpricks of hope, like stars in the gloom of night.

Ride, as if on camels.

Look for the star, that flickering, dim light.  It will rise.  It rose that night.  It rose to guide.  It rises now.

Look, and see.

Night shows off the promise.  Your hope glitters* over you.  

Seek and see the wonder.

Your king is here.

Walk in this land, towards grace and hope.

Endure the long days, the unknowing, the seemingly silent God.

Redemption is at hand.**

  **********

“Advent is the promise denoting the new order of things, of life, of our existence.” – Alfred Delp

One day, the night will disappear. The light will overcome and despair will be no more.

Light the candle

and

see.

“Like it or not, we either add to the darkness of indifference and out-and-out evil which surrounds us or we light a candle to see by.” – Madeleine L’Engle

And so we light the candle of hope.

 

*(scroll down to shined nagahh)

**inspired by Zechariah 9:9-12
 
 
Read other posts in our Synchroblog:
 
Emily Miller
Brenna D.
Katie Axelson
 
Won’t you join us?  What does this first candle of Advent, this intangible reality of Hope mean to you?
 
 

14 Comments

  1. faithruluv December 3, 2012 at 8:04 am

    “Walk in this land, towards grace and hope.

    Endure the long days, the unknowing, the seemingly silent God.

    Redemption is at hand.**”

    THIS. Thank you, Caris!

  2. Katie Axelson December 3, 2012 at 8:46 am

    I love this, Caris! So beautiful!

  3. Sarah Askins December 3, 2012 at 8:53 am

    So wonderfully beautiful! Love this so much!

  4. suzannah | the smitten word December 3, 2012 at 9:10 am

    reading this with a hope-filled mumford and sons soundtrack.
    let it be.
    (love your prosetry. a perfect medium!)

  5. HopefulLeigh December 3, 2012 at 9:32 am

    Beautiful. Hope has been my word for this year and it’s taken on a whole new quality this Advent season.

  6. emmillerwrites December 3, 2012 at 9:50 am

    I love that you also have a song that goes with your post. 🙂 And this: “Your king is coming to you, even now. Peer carefully at the things of this world. He resides in the common.” Your “prosetry” is so beautiful and it really captures the hope and the need for it this season!

  7. Caris Adel December 3, 2012 at 10:15 am

    ooh nice. I think I need to read more poetry on a regular basis to really get into the flow.

  8. Caris Adel December 3, 2012 at 10:16 am

    oh what a good word….I can imagine this is a really rough holiday season. 🙁

  9. Caris Adel December 3, 2012 at 10:19 am

    Thanks Sarah!

  10. Caris Adel December 3, 2012 at 10:20 am

    That is a section that comes right out of real life. Glad it resonated!

  11. Ronnica Z Rothe December 5, 2012 at 8:15 pm

    We don’t take enough time to reflect, do we?

  12. lindsholifield December 6, 2012 at 12:47 am

    this is so beautiful and hopeful. thank you.

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