Here's an offering of food for thought from various sources, including the painting "The Annunciation" by African-American painter Henry Ossawa Tanner.
A favourite Advent reading is what Mary said to her cousin Elizabeth about being pregnant with a “blessed infant”, this is often called The Magnificat (Luke 1 :46 – 55)
My soul magnifies the Lord,And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.He has shown strength with His arm:He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.He has put down the mighty from their thrones,and exalted those of low degree.He has filled the hungry with good things;and the rich He has sent empty away.He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever.
Scripture text: Revised Standard Version
While we encourage a thoughtful reading of the scriptures that are traditional during Advent and Christmas, here is some contemporary food for thought:
From Geez Magazine:
. … Unfortunately, there are competing and non-humanizing views of beauty and wonder in our midst. The Wal-Mart aesthetic has crept into our heads. We look for bright colors, shiny knobs. We prize efficiency, and quantify value with price tags. We seem to enjoy anything that disconnects us from our natural surroundings. We accept and even prefer “virtual” reality and “simulated” flavors. We see beautiful golf greens on the sports television network and forget about where we live and dream about get-away vacations.
We are both victims and agents of this collective maladjusted vision. It is hard to see differently when most of our views are so “picture perfect.” But I’m trying to see differently, to embrace “plain-old” when offered “new and improved.”
I often think of the zen-like phrases Jesus offered to the world. “Don’t worry about your clothes. Look at the flowers, you should all be like flowers!” Or birds, learn from the birds. I have this deep sense that there’s some secret mystery to life that is within our grasp. Jesus was trying to communicate that vision, not an other-worldly vision but a fuller-worldly vision. It had to do with restoring Eden, seeing heaven on earth. It sounds magical, but I think he assumed we could see the radiant glory of Being Itself if only we had the eyes to see, the ears to hear. I want those eyes.
Aiden Enns is publisher of Geez magazine
From Jean Vanier, Becoming Human:
"The excluded live certain values that we all need to discover and to live ourselves before we can become truly human. It is not just a question of doing good deeds for those who are excluded but of being open and vulnerable to them in order to receive the life that they can offer......they will break down the prejudices and protective walls that gave rise to exclusion in the first place. They will then start to affect our human organizations, revealing new ways of being and walking together.....a place of belonging where each person finds their place and where we live in mutual trust......if it is lived at the grassroots level, in families, in communities and other places of belonging, this vision can gradually permeate our societies and humanize them".
From the Globe and Mail
PATRICK WHITE
November 27, 2007 at 9:14 AM EDT
Don't say iPod, say I love you
Parents have a new weapon in the battle to hush demands for $500 handbags and $250 jeans this Christmas: compliments.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071127.wxlpeers27/BNStory/lifeFamily/home
No comments:
Post a Comment