I wonder if you can trace the changes that occur within yourself over a year by tracking the kind of music you listen to at Christmas. Last year, I was listening to The Pogues, but this year my Christmas song is this beautiful piece by Joni Mitchell:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCov0TYXBp8]
During the Advent season, a lot of people try to relive or rediscover a sense of expectation and hope. They remember what it might be like to wait for the coming of God… the coming of healing, liberation, and salvation. For me, this whole year has been defined by waiting for God (it’s been a tough year, marked by many personal sorrows and losses which I have not written about here). Only, in my waiting for God, I’ve gradually learned to wait without much expectation or hope… I simply wait because there is nothing else that can be done by any of us. We’ve all tried our best and failed. Only God can save us, and even though God is nowhere to be found, we wait… because, at the end of the day, we are still in need of salvation.
But, my God, I wish I had a river I could skate away on.
thanks dan,
we recently played a show in kelowna at a cafe where they had been asking each group to record two christmas songs at the end of the show. they compiled them to air over the last couple days. they were mainly hymns, carols, jollies, unrealities, etc. so when it came time for us to play our compulsory xmas tunes, i asked one of our singers if she could do “river” by joni mitchell. she did, it was good. and i think it stood up in contrast in an important way. thanks.
Reminds me of Henri Nouwen’s book – Reaching Out, the three movements of spiritual life.
Reaching out to our inner most self
Reaching out to our fellow human
Reaching out to our God.
Shalom.