In this, the third week of Advent, on this the first day of the light returning and the ‘new calendar’ opening, anticipation hangs in the air, glittering with the shimmer of a thousand candles glowing in the night.

I feel it. I feel the desire to move out of the darkness. To move away from that place of fear and loathing, of shame and blaming ‘the other’ for the pain I have felt, the hurt I have known, the sorrow I have carried.

This is the place of renewal. Of beginning again. Of do-overs and let’s do. This is the place of letting the news of The Christchild’s arrival be heard above the cries of ‘never again’, ‘no more war, poverty, abuse, anguish’ No more killing one another. No more hurting the ones we love. No more hurting each other. No more.

This is the place where the sun’s rays break through the dawn and I feel myself hopeful, expectant, excited about the new day dawning amidst the darkness of the old.

I am not alone, I tell myself. In am not alone in my waiting, in my expectation of the holy of holy nights when hope shall spring forth in a world of peace, Love and joy.

I am not alone.

And still, my heart is heavy. Our world so sorely in need of peace continues to gravitate towards pain, war, suffering, killing. Our world so desperately in need of quiet rages in the agony of death.

Yet I am hopeful.

O Come! O Come! Emmanuel.

O Come! Bring forth peace, hope, love and joy.

Bring it on oh holy one. Bring it on.

I am ready. I am willing. I am open to peace, hope, love and joy.

I am ready.

And still.

Frustration rises. Fear edges into my awakening.

Can we not see? Can we not know that we are killing one another with our guns and ammunition. Our insistence that we are right, they are wrong. Our fighting for ground. For religious right and social elevation.

Can we not see?

Come, thou long-expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.   (Come Thou Long… Advent hymn attributed to Charles Wesley)

And I am reminded. Peace begins with me. I cannot make peace when I hold onto anger, fear, frustration. I cannot be peace when I make war against the world around me.

And I breathe.

And hear the invitation of a simple song to deepen my understanding of this season and its promise of peace, hope, love and joy.

I breathe and feel its truth calling to my heart, this universal truth that speaks of our humanity — we are born in the reflection of God, Yahweh, Allah. We embody God’s greatness, him or her or it – it doesn’t matter what word we use for God. God does not seek our words. The Divine does not search for our hearts. He, she, it… knows our Heart of hearts. Our truth of truth. She knows our beauty. We are His reflection. We are Her heart.

We are limitless in our possibilities. We are magnificent. We are holy. We are divine.

This is not ‘God’ as limited by my language, This is God unlimited — The Divine. Creator. Yahweh. Allah. Buddha. Almighty Father. King of Kings. Spirit, Lord.

In this time of waiting, in this time of darkness becoming light, I let go of the words and step into that place where I and you and we are embodied in the essence of our humanity, connected through this spirit that embraces all of us in wonder as we stand in Love.

In love, I breathe into my divine essence.

In love, I come home to my heart. I come home to Thee.

In love, I hear the Divine calling of my name as I embrace the beauty and the wonder of my human condition, this condition I share with each of you – We are the Divine expression of God’s amazing grace.

Let’s live it up for all we’re worth.

Let’s celebrate the return of the light. The coming of the child. The opening of possibility. Our awakening to Peace. Hope. Love and Joy.

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This is one of my favourite Advent Carols and Enya’s version is hauntingly beautiful.