Advent

Fra Angelico. Altarpiece of the Annunciation. c. 1430-1432. Tempera on panel. 194 x 194. Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. This is my favorite holiday. Maybe its because nobody really celebrates it and its my own secret celebration or maybe its just nostalgia because it comes before Christmas and it makes me think of that time of year, which for better or worse, is actually usually a time I enjoy being with my family. Perhaps I'm intrigued by trying to wrap my brain around the concept of Incarnation. Robert Webber describes Advent as both Israel’s longing for a Messiah and our own longing for a new breaking in of God’s spirit upon us. I’m interested in the lines of supernatural and natural getting blurred even though I’m so seldom aware when it happens. The Annunciation is often shown as a dove breaking the window of Mary’s house as the angel announces what is to come.

In the last several years I have become obsessed with Advent. In many ways I’ve always been superficially into Advent, whether it’s the anticipation of opening presents or getting out of school or opening the next little door on the cardboard advent calendars. But lately I’ve been thinking more about the real meanings of the season. Winter is a time of darkness and mystery for me anyway and now I have a new layer of mystery added on as I try to look for God breaking into my life like light slowly becoming brighter in a pitch black room.

I've made several pieces about Advent. The first one was a painting I began last year and now will reside over my living room shrine for Advent and Epiphany. It shows Isaiah writing his prophecies in the darkness with the Davidic rose climbing up to his lips to cleanse them. Jesus claims in Revelation [22:16] be “the root and the Offspring of David” and that’s another thing I like about Advent- its cyclical nature and its symmetry with the Hebrew Scriptures.

Last spring I wrote a chapter of My Life in Records about Advent. You can read it starting here and even buy a print version here. It’s a little more humorous take on Advent, but still has the theme of waiting for what has been promised.

Finally, this summer I decided to do another comic based on a poem I wrote about Advent. I started off strong and fully expected it to be done by today and then I would unveil it in honor of Advent. But after a few pages it just went flat and I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. After reading the first few pages of Veich’s Can’t Get No and putting it down in disgust, I’m glad I didn’t finish it.

Here are the first three pages of my noble failure. And I will leave you with the full text from the poem. I hope God breaks into your life this December.

Most birds fly right into the window pane and bounce back

Dazed or briefly unconscious

Unable to enter the space we dwell in

But this bird sailed in and shattered the glass without a sound

It dwelt in the womb of a woman and grew into our flesh

Only to be murdered like a pigeon in the street.

And now we’re all waiting for the train

that they just announced is coming shortly

Sure, we still go to work

eating and drinking.

Boys still asking men for their daughters to marry.

Yet the more astute do all these things

With one eye down the track

for the first glimpse of smoke

of the engine car.

Sitting then standing

Then sitting then pacing

then fiddling with the turnstile

Like a bride fiddling with her engagement ring

Once all the bridesmaids have gone ahead of her

And they’ve closed the doors to the chapel

And she’s just waiting for the music to change

for the string quartet

(fiddle-fiddle-viola-cello)

to finish playing

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desire

Waiting for the music to change

Waiting ‘till they start playing

Here Comes the Bride

On that big golden trumpet

Then the ushers will fling wide the doors

Like pearly gates

And she’ll walk in trying not to rush

Though it seemed like its been an eternity

Since the bridesmaids went in before her

And all the guests will rise up

from their slumber in the pews

the ceremony will all be a whirlwind

All dancing and feasting

and I am his and he is mine

and before you know it they’ll be on that train

to their forever happily ever afterlife

advent

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