An Advent Reflection
photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash.com
Space is the environment into which all things are born. Yet, we crowd the rooms of our lives with activities centered around preservation of an ego identity, a persona that we have constructed from all of our conditioned responses to life, an imaginary object that we call, “Me.” This personality is fictitious because it is based not on a tangible substance — even our bodies are not the same from one year to the next — but on a collection of presuppositions we’ve made about ourselves based on our past behavior and the roles that we play. Our thoughts, emotions, words, and actions are in a constant state of flux. Like our bodies, they give us nothing onto which we may hold. It is ironic, then, that we invest so much energy in protecting this illusory self.
The season of Advent invites us to acknowledge this state of affairs and to put down our armor and well-practiced offensive strategies. This sacred time beckons us to empty ourselves of the anger that bolsters the ego, the shame that reifies the ego, and the fear that seeks to protect the ego. We are called, instead, to make room for the birth of a Greater Reality, the appearance of Love. Birthing this Reality requires our consent, an active, “Yes.”
“Yes, I will release my agenda and my self-preservation tactics in favor of being with.”
It is into the space of simple presence that the Greater Reality of Love is born. And when we allow room for the action of Love to work in and through us, we, and the whole world along with us, are redeemed.
Dear friend,
May your mind be peaceful and calm, may your body be relaxed and comfortable, and may your heart be filled with love.
Thank you for reading.
Blessings and gratitude, Ani