Advent Word 23 - Mystery
The closer we get to Christmas, the closer we get to mystery.
There are problems to be solved in this world,
Just as there are floors to be swept.
That’s honest work.
It’s not our only work.
Some of our work is feeling mystery brush against our face while walking in the dark and trying not to swat it away reflexively.
Some of our work is trying not to ask steam a question
Some of our work is noticing, honoring, being moved by, and walking in the dark differently.
I found one one solitary sock the other day doing laundry; now that’s a puzzle.
I can still smell the kitchen from when I was a child and my mother baked bread; now that is a mystery.
Some of you are crying; now that is a sacrament.
Today you will encounter a good deal of knowable things,
But think of the mysteries you’ll encounter
And with every mystery a possibility.
With every mystery a choice -
What you will admire
What you will appreciate
What you will let touch your soul
What will cause you to wonder
How you can become kinder
How you can ask questions that lead you to changes you want to make
What the smell of that bread means.
The closer you get to Christmas, the closer you get to mystery.