Newborn babies all over the world are wrapped round in soft cloth to keep them warm and to recreate the safe confines of mother's womb. We are told that Mary wrapped her baby, Jesus, in swaddling cloth and laid him in a manger in the humble stable in Bethlehem.  Many of us embrace the historic fact of this birth, the first days in the life of Jesus, the Christ. And we may glean the metaphoric message, the expansive and all inclusive message of the Christ. 

Thich Nhat Hahn, Vietnamese Buddhist monk teaches us to seek peace in the midst of chaos. Many circumstances and emotional reactions threaten our peace. Tay, as he is called, teaches us to take those things that cause us to feel the opposite of peace - fear, anger, confusion - and hold them close. Wrap them in swaddling cloth, if you will. In embracing that which disturbs us, we conciously hold it in love. As we hold it close, we give silent acceptance of our fear based feelings. We transform the negative not by avoiding it or fighting against it but by holding it close and transcending it. Negative will not survive in an atmosphere of love and acceptance. In the swaddling cloth, the baby Jesus sleeps in safety and peace. In the same loving embrace, peace is born within us. 

This year - 2015 - has been frightening in many ways, economically, politically, racially, religiously.  It often seems that retaliation is the most logical response.  In the short term, that may feel good.  But when we take the long view, we know that there is another way.  The baby Jesus, born as a human child was one of the greatest teachers of all time.  He embodied another way, the Christ way, and taught radical living. "Love your enemy, do good to those who hate you. The kindgom of God is within you." He owned nothing, he angered church officials, he hung out with rejected men and women, he treasured the children. He was the radical Way.  And he showed all of us how to embrace the negative, wrap it in swaddling cloth, hold it close in love, transcend it. 

As this passing year departs, I have a challenge and an opportunity for myself and for you.  There is much negativity in our world, much for us to embrace in love. Wrap it gently and hold it close. Free it from within your mind and your heart. Greet the new year in the Christ spirit of love.  Release the old, bring in the new! 
                                         
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 Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Solstice Greetings; singing carols, shopping or bah humbug to it all – where do you find yourself this year?  Buoyant and expectant or exhausted and grinchy?

My Native American friend has two beloved celebrations each year; traditional Sun Dance and Christmas.  Both are acknowledgement of the sacred and mysterious, an immersion and an allowing for inner changes.  For my Jewish friend, the holidays are a time for repetition of traditional ways of fasting and prayer, honoring family and heritage, taking time apart from busyness. Another friend grieves at this time as too many memories of loss wash over her, fresh and raw, making celebrating a challenge. Some friends have solstice meditation, others attend midnight mass. All of us pause to worship and reflect, each in our own way. 
 
The Christmases of my childhood held a predictable, familiar rhythm beginning with weekly Advent church services and culminating with the joyous Christmas morning celebration. Our church was filled with dozens of poinsettias, candles, an enormous lighted tree and the choir at its best! At home we baked cookies for weeks. Santa was busy in our curtained off living room – no peeking allowed! On Christmas morning we woke to a beautifully decorated tree with an array of presents for everyone that Santa delivered the night before.  Mom cooked a magnificent meal; grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins came for dinner; we wore our “Sunday clothes” all day and Dad and I drove Grandma and Grandpa home through the quiet streets of St. Louis late on Christmas night. I felt a warm glow inside – magical, simple and reassuring that all was well.
 
Today I still love to bask in that warm glow and recreate those predictable and traditional rhythms. I like to be at home with a beautiful tree, good food and family. I like Advent, the time of conscious preparation; of memories and stillness and reflections upon what is meaningful today. I think about the state of our world, not with a sense of dread and gloom and pessimism,  but rather with a certain knowing that our world is, truly, a large family.  Everywhere, the members of our family want peace. We want to feel safe in our homes, we want to nourish ourselves with good food, to surround ourselves with loving friends, to be well educated and successfully employed. We want our children and grandchildren to be happy, to live in and contribute to a global community that sustains us all.  We want everyone in our family to live with that warm glow inside; simple, safe and loved.
 
Recently, a pertinent question was put to me. I share it with you for reflecting upon during this time of stillness and of celebration.  Here it is:
      What question do you go to bed with at night and what passion urges you to get up in the morning?
 
With this pivotal question in mind, may you give birth to your own wisdom, compassion, and vision. May all our world family be blessed because of your incarnation, your living presence.

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