The Whispers of Advent

 

“What you whisper in my ear
Let it find room in my heart
Like a garden, let Your words begin to grow
When my faith is prone to fear
Remind me of Your love
Remind me that You’ll never let me go.”
~Jason Upton~

With that deep hush subduing all
Our words and works that drown
The tender whisper of Thy call,
As noiseless let Thy blessing fall
As fell the manna down.
~John G. Whittier~

Derived from Latin, “Advent” simply means coming or arrival, but the meaning of the verb form adventus extends also to develop, set in, or arise, referring to an invasion, ripening, or appearance.

If an emperor or government official paraded into town with his entourage and plumage of State, we would most likely take notice, especially if there had been a recent victory on the political front. Virgil used this Latin verb stem in his Roman epic The Aeneid, the account of Caesar’s “coming” (adventum) causing the people to break forth in joy because of his fame and military conquests.

So why ascribe this season leading up to the birth of a baby as though it was a festive throng of celebrations? Who was there to witness such a seemingly innocuous event? There was no reception at any Bethlehem hotel for Mary and Joseph, no townsfolk coming to aid them in their quandary; they were all busy tending to extra guests who had come into town for the census, delighted with the extra sales they would be making, much like a proprietor would be delighted in serving a tourist seeking souvenirs.

I enjoy attending the yearly craft sales in our locality, so I can relate to the delight in participating in the hustle and bustle of the season, chatting with local acquaintances sitting behind their booth. I am not your “hard-core” shopper, but just give me a sampling of their wares as I peruse gift ideas. An hor d’oeuvres, really, is sufficient for me before I retreat to a “Silent Night” in my corner of the world where I can hear the Glorias of the angels that the humble shepherds heard. Indeed, “retreating from too much stimulation, even positive stimulation, is necessary for a healthy sensitivity. Isolating ourselves periodically from others is not a weakness; rather it is an activity requiring extraordinary strength” (Meg Meekers).

It seems appropriate, then, that both quiet meditation and decorous praise would go hand in hand in this season of Advent. Certainly, the company of angels was garbed in festal array as they declared “Glory to God in the highest,” while Mary “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). Like Mary, we all need to withdraw from our noisy and anxious culture, to make room in our hearts often enough to hear His whispers that are too often drowned out in our busyness; but we also have the mandate to joyfully exclaim the extent of all He has done for us—the “manna” He provides in our lives— just as the shepherds responded to the advent of the angels, “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:20).

Joy to the world; the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare Him room…