Quiet, Slow Down, it's Advent

December 2, 2024

Happy Monday, my friends! This being the fourth year of Monday Moments during Advent, I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but I hope you’ll indulge me once more. When I was at Sewanee[1], one of our chaplains, the Rev. Annwn Myers, would put up signs around the chapel: “Quiet. Slow down. It’s Advent.” Situated when the night has lengthened, days have turned cold, and there may be snow on the ground, Advent is meant to be a contemplative time when we turn inward and prepare ourselves to remember when God became a person like us. But Advent is also the busy four weeks before Christmas during which there is one of the highest levels of consumer purchasing and charitable giving of the year. I always marveled that a university chaplain would bother to encourage students to slow down and be quiet at the end of a semester whilst preparing final projects and studying for exams.

Advent, framed perfectly in December this year, is indeed a curious time. This pass Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving and immediately the holiday shopping season began. We hopefully passed Black Friday unscathed and then we retreated home for Small Business Saturday. On Sunday we dropped a little money for our faith communities. If Black Friday crowds aren’t your thing, today is Cyber Monday. Spend from the safety of your own home or from your desk at work (no one’s judging you). After continuing to feed the dragon called late-stage capitalism you can do your penance tomorrow on Giving Tuesday by investing in causes important to you—LOVEboldly is looking to raise $20,000 by December 31, so give generously at www.loveboldly.net/donate. Advent is also the time during which we busy ourselves with planning and holding our Christmas celebrations, whether coffee and tea with friends or elaborate family gatherings. Perhaps especially this year, social media is chock full of tips, tricks, and advice (advisably authentic and dangerously funny) about surviving time with family who we love or are trying to love, but with whom we don’t agree (for example, the image below).

In the midst of all that, how are we possibly supposed to slow down or be quiet? Something I’ve realized in my life is that while I can’t always “make time” or “carve out time,” I can still find some quiet moments or intentionally pause and breathe. Slowing down and being quiet for Advent need not look like long periods of silent reflection, it can be in many little pauses throughout these weeks. While the shopping and planning may be less than relaxing, the celebrating and the time spent with the people we love can be moments of slowing down and being quiet. Personally, I’m looking forward to the quiet moments watching Jack play and helping him do crafts. No, he won’t be quiet, but I will be and I’ll enjoy the simple time with him.

What does slowing down and being quiet mean to you? How could you slow down and be quiet during Advent?

In lieu of a prayer, I commend this song to your hearing. Perhaps it will be true for you and your experience of family gatherings.

Blessings on your weeks, my friends! Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

Faithfully,

Ben

[1] I mention Sewanee, my alma mater, occasionally in Monday Moments. If you’re not familiar with the university check out www.sewanee.edu.