Reflection from Advent Retreat: The Lights On Now

(Inspired by Fr. Richard Rohr)

1 Corinthians 4:5

Stop passing judgment before the time of the Lord’s return. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and manifest the intentions of hearts. At that time, everyone will receive his praise from God.

A young boy goes hunting in the woods behind his house. It was getting dark and he had got turned around.  He was afraid he was lost. He thought about where he had bee, and tried to go back; he got more lost. He thought about which way he should go and headed that way; he got even more lost.

 His mother would soon have dinner ready. His father would then come outside, flash the light on the porch and yell for him that it was time to come home. He wanted to hear the comfort of his father’s voice. Sitting down, he got quiet.

Then, a lot closer than he thought it would be, he heard his father’s voice. He followed it. There was the light, comforting, lighting the darkness. He saw his father in the light, concerned. He felt safe as he walked towards home and his father’s hugs.

This is a story about being quiet and listening. This is a story about contemplation.

Thomas Merton, a trappist monk, writer, and mystic, wrote about contemplation. Merton wrote about the virgin point; a place of pure poverty and nothingness in God’s presence; absent of past and the future. A point found in the NOW. A place found by emptying ourselves of past and future so that we can be open to His presence.

This can be hard because most of us live our lives thinking about the past or the future. We try to repeat success or avoid failure. We try to control the path of our future. It’s the way we’re wired. And, Jesus warns us against both.

We are to live in the ever-present, ever-coming Christ. Let’s get ourselves to the virgin point to the presence of the immediate Christ; NOW. That point of total quietness where we can listen for the hope, peace, joy and love of Christ in the right now.  

If we are not in NOW, we will not experience the immediate Christ and we can’t grow in Christ. We can’t grow unless we’re willing to live in the right now, in this moment. Be present to Christ that is always coming to us.

So think of the Advent that is Christ immediate as God leaving the porch light on. In this light, we can be open to Christ who always comes to us and is calling us to his presence. In this light, we live in Christ who comes to us now. Maybe if we just sit quietly and listen, we can find our way. If we can do this, we will receive praise from God.