Radiance

 Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent

O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you,

as in a barren and dry land where there is no water.

Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place,

that I might behold your power and your glory.

Psalm 63:1-2

I must consciously breathe my way through the store, focusing on my list and not allowing my senses, and my soul, to be captured by all that is on offer. I can so easily become overwhelmed by commercial appeals, brightly colored items arranged attractively on shelves, and aisles that lead me to more stuff. I had thought this was going to be a one-stop trip. But I am now at my fourth store. And I’m getting cranky.

The enemy is always close at hand at the holy times, a friend tells me. Well of course. What better way to disrupt the peace brought by the one with healing in his wings than to lead us astray on our way to the manger.

I remind myself that the one who wants our joy to be complete can have nothing against stars and glitter and holiday cheer. After all, think of the magnificence that accompanied Jesus’ birth. An entire host of angels appeared to the shepherds! Just how many are in a host?

As I leave the store and step into the cold night, I see the radiance of the moon, just past full. Are angels hiding somewhere beyond that brightness, getting ready? I imagine a heavenly choir practice going on, a host preparing to light upon us in a week’s time, guiding all who seek to the glory of the incarnation. Again.