Opinion

A meaningful countdown to Christmas

Christina Rees is counting down the days to Christmas, but she is reflecting on a more powerful form of Advent calendar.

I’ve always loved Advent calendars. For me, opening that first little door on 1 December is the beginning of a magical countdown to Christmas, with the last door coming on Christmas Eve, giving way to the celebration of the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day.

But, a few years ago, I started thinking about a different kind of Advent calendar, one that I could carry in my mind:

For the first of December I’d like to start with hope, and for the second day, peace, because if there’s no hope, then life would be pretty bleak, and if there’s no peace, then you can’t really enjoy anything else. For the third day, I’d choose friendship, because I think there’s little better than having someone you care about who also cares about you.

For the fourth day, I’d choose gentleness (I think the world is in short supply of that right now), then kindness, thoughtfulness, patience (I could definitely use more of that!), goodness, faithfulness, self-control (also badly needed), then wisdom, truth, trust, courage, endurance, confidence, (both self-confidence and confidence in God), then humility, forgiveness and freedom. Unless we can forgive ourselves and other people, I don’t think we can have true freedom, at least not inner freedom. That brings us to nineteen!

I’d go on to have laughter, hugs, joy and contentment, not contentment in a staid or smug way, but that feeling of being satisfied with what I do have and not craving anything more. On Christmas Eve I’d have abundance, so that not only would I feel I have enough to be content, but even more, I would feel filled to overflowing with gratitude.

I would save one more thing for Christmas morning and that would be love. Love is, as far as I am concerned, the purpose and reason behind why we’re here. Love is the ultimate meaning of what life is all about and the secret of the universe. I believe God created us in love, for love, to love. In fact, I like to explain the Big Bang as the uncreated God exploding with love into time, space and matter.

If only we could see ourselves, other creatures and the earth as showing us aspects of who God is. If only we could accept and believe that Jesus came to show us who God is and who we are called to be. I think we would be dazzled!

If I gathered together all the other things I’ve chosen for my Advent calendar and turned them into a lovely big duvet, I think they would all add up to love. Then I could wrap up in that duvet and stay warm forever!

(This is adapted from a script Christina wrote several years ago for Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2 with Terry Wogan, who liked it so much he asked for a copy to give to his grandchildren!)
 
Image by G.C. from Pixabay

Rev’d Christina Rees CBE is a writer and broadcaster, Associate Priest at St Peter’s Church, Sheringham and Director of the LI Tim-Oi Foundation, a charity that supports Christian women across the world with educational grants so they can follow their calling. Christina was born in the United States and grew up on a small wooden sailboat, travelling the world. She was a member of the General Synod of the Church of England for 25 years was awarded a CBE in 2015 for ‘services to the Church of England’. Christina’s books include The Divine Embrace and Feast + Fast – Food for Lent and Easter.
 

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