Disciples, Apostles, and Saints!
Thanksgiving weekend often lands right before the first Sunday in Advent. We spend this time with friends and family (physically or in memory) or perhaps alone as a kind of respite from them! But for many of us, it is a time to remember to be thankful. It is the manifestation of my encouragement this past summer: to feast, preferably with others! There is a kernel of divine truth within every gathering, every feasting, every joyous celebration that embodies camaraderie and generosity.
It also kicks off the secular Christmas season, when we are encouraged to gorge ourselves on electronics, toys, clothes, and gadgets we may desire for a moment’s time, but will soon grow weary of. This a natural process psychologists call hedonic adaptation. It’s why we’re never satisfies with our stuff and our favorite foods start to bore us after awhile. Our brains adjust to a new normal, so they want more novelty. Something new, preferably shiny.
Many modern prophets call us to consume less. Buy less stuff, yes, but also consume less “content”. This, too, is explained by psychology as leading to our present overwhelm and tolerance for propaganda—because there is so much we stop dreaming, imagining things can be different.
When John invites those hearing him to “prepare the way of the Lord” he is trusting they can imagine a better world. One that actually matches the justice of God. For us, that begins with freeing our hearts and minds to even imagine such a world.
With love,
Drew