The Pregnant Pause of Advent

Advent is a pause, but not an empty one. Rather, it is pregnant with need and possibility.

As I write this, Brittney Griner has just been released from a Russian penal colony and is on U.S. soil. We rejoice yet should be acutely aware how, in other circumstances, her race and sexual identity still leave her on the margins – in this country and abroad. The Advent pause is pregnant with oppression and injustice that begs our attention.

 

One of my dear Dominican sisters recently wrote that her twin is facing a serious heart problem. Even in the midst of her own worry and anxiety, this Sister reminds us of her family’s gratitude for the privilege of healthcare to which they have access. Her generous heart points to the dire circumstances in which many people in our own country find themselves without access to adequate or affordable health care. The Advent pause is pregnant with real people facing social injustice and need. This pause begs our attention.

 

In weeklyprayers@worldinprayer.org, prayer to “Ancient of Days” includes, “Somewhere in Kiev, Ukraine, a man plays his guitar with his old faithful pup howling along, even though they sing in darkness. Somewhere in Moscow, Idaho, a parent falls into the sleep of the mourning…Somewhere, right now, your light is powering the sun to power a school and house and growing plants that will provide medicine for healing. … Lord, save us from trouble, but help us to be people who get in the way of injustice and trouble the waters of oppression. Thank you for whispering to us that we are beloved. Help us now to whisper your love to those who long to hear that there is a loving God.” 

 

And that You are found in the pregnant pause of Advent.

 

Kathy Flynn, OP
Madison, WI