“Thanks to processes which we set at work in them centuries ago, they find it all but impossible to believe in the unfamiliar while the familiar is before their eyes. Keep pressing home the ordinariness of things.” – Screwtape, from The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
The world is so full of noise and man-made lights that we’re unable to see the wonder of God’s creation or hear the low whisper of God. The Holy Spirit convicts our hearts and guides us towards holiness but it’s easy to become distracted or even distract ourselves. During the season of Advent, a season of listening to the Spirit, meditating on the words and promises of Scripture, and singing the words of Advent hymns with great thoughtfulness and conviction, we are bombarded with jingles, sales and expectations. There are Christmas parties, gift exchanges, daily battles with holiday traffic, sales, advertisements, and it seems that time speeds up during the month of December. Before you can say “Yuletide” it’s Christmas Eve and you’re in a candlelight service, trying to prepare your heart for the “true meaning of Christmas”. We’re fooling ourselves if we believe this hour honors God when it’s surrounded by a hijacked holiday of consumerism, tradition and togetherness.
The Advent Conspiracy is about intentionally putting things in priority. Today we take time to sit silently in the presence of the Lord. He’s listening, he’s speaking to us through his Holy Spirit and Scripture. Let’s be with him.
Luke 1:46-56 (ESV)
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.