Do You Hear What I Hear? An Advent Letter to My Family of Faith
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
I see you. I want to hear you and I want to know your heart. Not just hear, but listen. We are a church divided. We are a Nation at odds and we are a world fighting for life. We are the Church. We belong to one another. We were created by love and for love. The darkness can cause our vision to falter, but it will never prevent the light from coming.
Do You See What I See?
I see pastors wondering how to lead a scattered flock. I see an angry flock wondering where their shepherd has gone. I see people trying to glue together shattered glass, to recoup a past that is gone. I see angry people trying to be heard.
I see “a star dancing in the night.” I see hope when I look for the light. I see God’s beloved remembering who they are. I see joy in the smallest things. I see a world that is learning how to wait. I see a multitude of gifts in the myriad of faces around me.
Do You Hear What I Hear?
I hear weary parents doing their best. I hear the cries of lonely hearts. I hear predictions of the future riddled with fear. I hear hopelessness from the ones that fought the good fight and believe they lost. I hear the sobs of grieving souls.
I hear “a song with a voice as big as the sea.” I hear parent’s adoration of their children. I hear laughter in the company of friends. I hear the voices of the abused and broken standing tall. I hear an invitation to dance with the Divine.
Do You Know What I Know?
I know that I do not know a lot. I do not know how the pandemic will end. I do not know how to stir up hope in the hopeless, and I do not know how to give peace to the anxious. I know we are tired. I know we engage the Advent season longing for a weary world to rejoice.
I know this Advent we wait for Christ to come in a big way. I know that God comes in ways we cannot predict. I know his life is teeming within all of us, waiting to be revealed. I know he came to give us life and to invite us into life in his Kingdom.
Listen To What I Say…
I listen because I want to know you. I listen because I want to hear your story. I listen because I want to see your heart.
I listen because Abba knows me and calls me daughter. I listen because the Holy Spirit always listens to me. I listen because Jesus has captured my heart.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Will you join me in listening to one another? What do you hear, see, or know that brings you hope as you wait? We are a family united by Christ and in Him we are one.
With all my love and grace,
Your sister
