SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT

I LOVE THIS PICTURE.  IT REALLY GOT ME THINKING ABOUT THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT. 

LOOK AT THE THINGS IN THIS PHOTO CAREFULLY.  LOOK AT THE STILL, CLASSIC LINES OF THE 3 OBJECTS ON THE TABLE AND THEN THE BUSY-NESS OF ALL THE MARKINGS ON THE WALL. 

THE TABLE , FOR ME, BECOMES A METAPHOR FOR SLOWING DOWN ( TO SMELL …THE COFFEE !)

 WE ARE CALLED TO SHARE OUR FAITH AND OUR LOVE WITH OTHERS IN OUR LIVES.  WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE OTHERS AND TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR. BUT WHO IS ‘ OUR NEIGHBOUR ‘ ?  OUR FAMILY IS OUR NEIGHBOUR. A FRIEND IS OUR NEIGHBOUR.   THE HOMELESS PERSON WE PASS ON THE STREET IS OUR NEIGHBOUR.  THIS IS HOW WE CAN SEE CHRIST…IN THE EYES OF OUR NEIGHBOUR .  

LET’S TAKE THE TIME TO SIT DOWN AND JUST TAKE A BREAK FROM ALL OUR RUNNING AROUND.  LET’S FIND TIME TO PRAY.  LET’S MAKE TIME FOR OTHERS  TOO.

BUT WHY IS THERE ONLY ONE CUP ON THE TABLE?  PERHAPS YOU ARE HOLDING THE OTHER CUP.  PERHAPS YOU PURCHASED THAT CUP FOR SOMEONE ELSE .

I ALSO SEE A BOTTLE OF WATER AND A PRETTY PLANT ON THE TABLE.

WATER IS A SYMBOL FOR LIFE AND SO IS THE PLANT.  WITHOUT WATER WE CANNOT LIVE.  HOW CAN I NURTURE LOVE IN THE LIVES OF THOSE AROUND ME ? HOW CAN I HELP  LOVE TO GROW …JUST AS WATER HELPS THE PLANT TO GROW ?

PERHAPS I CAN PLANT  SEEDS OF KINDNESS ALONG MY PATH THIS WEEK. 

LET’S LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL WALL.  I LOVE THE MANY COLOURS AND THE MARKINGS MADE BY MANY OTHERS BEFORE I TOOK MY PLACE AT THE TABLE.  THIS MAKES ME THINK OF THE MANY COLOURS OF OUR COMMUNITIES , NOT JUST SKIN COLOURS, BUT PERSONALITIES AND LIVES COLOURED BY JOY ….AND  TOO OFTEN -SADNESS…….(PARTICULARLY TOUGH AT THIS TIME OF YEAR). 

HOW CAN I MAKE MY MARK ?   CAN I CHOOSE TO BE KIND WHEN I’M FRUSTRATED AND WOULD RATHER LASH OUT ?    CAN  I DO A HIDDEN ACT OF KINDNESS THAT ONLY MYSELF , THE RECIPIENT, AND GOD KNOWS ABOUT ?  MAYBE I CAN JUST SMILE AT SOMEONE AS I PASS THEM ON THE STREET .

I SEE FAMILY NAMES ON THE WALL. I SEE THE NAMES OF FRIENDS CARVED INTO THIS WALL.  AND I SEE A HEART .  I’M GOING TO TRY TO BE MORE LOVING WITH THOSE AROUND ME THIS WEEK. LET MY MARK BE A HEART TOO.  I WANT TO BE ‘THE BEST VERSION OF MYSELF ”  ( AS MICHAEL KELLY WOULD SAY .)  

HOW ABOUT YOU? HOW WILL YOU MAKE YOUR MARK THIS WEEK?