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The Birth of Love: An Advent Reflection

The season of Advent is a time of waiting. But as Henri Nouwen writes, this waiting is not passive, but active. We wait in anticipation, in expectation, for the arrival of the Christ. Jesus tells his followers that while they wait, they should watch and be ready, because the moment of arrival is unknown.

Brother Ron Fender, in his book These Things I Have Seen, writes that the world is full of mangers. One thing this means is that Christ arrives all the time, but like the manger in Bethlehem, the mangers of today are likely to be overlooked. We must watch and be ready for these arrivals or we will miss them.

Where do we look? Jesus says suffering and calamity are good clues. Wherever people are hurting and institutions are failing, look for Christ. Wherever there is oppression and injustice, prepare for the arrival. Whenever your heart is besieged by anger, fear, greed, shame--make way for the birth of love.

Of course, many of these things are happening every day. The world is full of mangers. The season of Advent knows no calendar. Watch and be ready.

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