Reflecting on the Word

By Dr. Karla J. Bellinger

She stokes the fire and stirs the logs so that they get more air.  From upstairs, she hears the breathing machine, whirring in and  out, bringing oxygen to the one she loves. She cannot see the air  around the logs. She cannot see the oxygen in the machine. But she is  continually attentive to its movement. It is always there. It is always  moving. Something could happen. She needs to be ready. 

He is chopping onions, humming a tune. A pan lid clangs. A grunt  sounds as a diaper plops to the floor. From the corner of his eye,  he sees movement and then feels a tug on his pant leg. He reaches  down to lift his beloved onto his hip. He slides vegetables into the  skillet. The toddler is always there. He is always moving. His dad  is continually attentive to his noises, alert to his motion. Something  could happen. He needs to be ready. 

For Israel, the Lord is always present, always active, always  moving. The prophet Isaiah is alert to that invisible motion. He  pleads to the Redeemer who has been faithful in the past, for his  people are at risk: “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come  down!” Today’s psalmist begs, “Come, come to save us!” The divine  “you” is constantly in Israel’s awareness as their enduring reality:  always present, continually moving, forever acting. 

It may not be the noise of the breathing machine in Mary Oliver’s  poem “Oxygen.” It may not be the crawling boy in my son’s kitchen.  But you and I, we too may have seasons of hyper-alertness at the  edge of consciousness. In situations that carry some risk, we are  ready. 

Jesus alerts us today: The One we love is here. Something is  happening. Be attentive. Watch!

Consider/Discuss 

  • Consider the times in your own life when you have had that attentiveness  at the edge of consciousness. What was the situation? Who was the  beloved? What was the risk? 
  • Like the oxygen that continually flows within us, the Spirit of God  breathes in our lives right now. Like the toddler crashing pan lids around  us, the Spirit is active and moving in this world. As we begin anew this  Advent, how can we allow the grace of God to cultivate within us a livelier  attentiveness to this divine movement? 

Living and Praying with the Word 

Savior of the world, you are the Prince of Peace. We are not at  peace. We feel some risk. You have always been faithful to us. We  are not always faithful to you. As we move into Advent, bring us to  deeper conversion. You ask us to be more aware of your presence.  You are here. You are active. You are always moving in our lives.  Thank you for rescuing us in our past. We trust you to take care of  our future. O come, Emmanuel. Come and save us!

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