Hannah is opening the doors of our “Weihnachtsengel” on Christmas Eve.
Dear fellow traveler,
A Merry Christmas to you! And welcome on this journey to the heart of Christmas. And a journey to the heart it is, indeed.
Willkommen / Welcome to the journey
Now I can confess to you: We are not very Christmassy people. At least not in the traditional sense. Usually, we arrive late for Advent, and recycle a tree from the curb, when neighbors are done with theirs. Thus, our take on the 12 Days of Christmas is born of an utter need: What lies beyond traditions when we arrive in the silence of the silent night? What lies at the heart of this old story of Divine birth, and how does it matter to our own heart’s journey?
Every year we wonder anew if we want to challenge ourselves to this journey, and every year we are humbled again by the many across the globe, from Germany to New Zealand!, who join in.
And so here we are, coming from different continents, backgrounds and traditions. From a year of uncertainty and cancelations. From our heart’s fear and longing. Let’s welcome it all. Let’s create a stable for our heart, where it can find some peace and solace.
Those who have traveled with us before know, this is not a prepackaged journey where I offer you a curated selection of texts. Instead, I am thrown into the movement of the heart myself, every year again, humbly offering you, what I receive in this moment and time.
Every day I will provide a brief online reflection or practice that you might find time for on that day, or a later time to fit your schedule. The reflection will help set the stage, and the question or practice or blessing will help you construct your own interior journey through the 12 Days.
Many follow along daily (you you might want to set aside 15-20 min every day), some go in and out as their schedules allow. Some mark regular times in their calendar for their personal Christmas Journey, stepping through several reflections at once. Some set aside a day or two of reflection for a personal 12 Days of Christmas retreat at the end of the year. What ever works for you will work for us. Only one thing is important: Do come back. Do begin again. Bring your heart.
“We must empty our heart, so God can write in it.”
Learning from a child
This entire week up to Christmas eve, our little child was waiting eagerly to open the “Weihnachtsengel” (Christmas Angel), that I bought some years ago in a local thrift store. This inspired bit of carved and constructed art has become a central aspect of our Christmas story since then. We open the doors in the robes of the angel every Christmas eve.
Hannah has been brimming with excitement for this time, and when it finally came she was jumping up and down, clapping, and cheering with anticipation. Our tradition in the past has been to open the door, place a candle in front of the manger, and gaze at it in wonder. But this day, Hannah would have none of this. From her perch on Papa’s knee, she opened the doors and looked and clapped, and then shut them again. Then she wanted to open them again. And again. And again.
We were perplexed, but after a few rounds, I saw her wisdom. She was practicing the opening. Like a pilgrim kneeling repeatedly to pray, she was opening and closing, in a repetitive, meditative motion, the door to the vision of Christmas. That evening she wore Papa’s knee out with her playful genuflection before the manger. And she kept coming back to it, as you can see in the picture, even after Papa set her down.
And then I knew what to write for you today. Her spontaneous ritual reminds us of the constant need to begin again. Always we begin again. We open the doors. We close them. Or they shut after us. Or they shut before us. But then, we begin again, reminded of the deep joy that comes with a new discovery.
A Blessing for the Journey
Honestly, I was close to giving up on The 12 Days of Christmas this year.
What could I possibly say that would console the hearts of the many exhausted and numb from too long a journey with grief and fear?
But then this old wisdom of “always we begin again…” slipped in the door of my awareness and I got myself together to lead another journey into the unknown. Like a newborn child, newly-born hope must be cradled, carefully fed and tended, protected, nourished, and guided on its way. So on this journey, we want now to begin again, holding together our sorrows and hopes, birthing new life in each of us. Always we begin again.
Take this invitation as a challenge to enter into solitude, a solitude some might find difficult in this pandemic year of isolation and canceled flights and gatherings. But the solitude I mean is pregnant with new beginnings. Like the solitude of a playing child opening and closing the Christmas door. It invites you at this threshold where the old and new meet to look back and journey forward to understand better your own narrative. Pause for a moment and then follow the star without knowing where it might lead. Though we journey together in spirit it is a journey into the deeper self, where one is alone with God.
Do you want to come with us?
Then let me offer you a blessing for the journey ahead:
May Christmas find you where you are
Do not be afraid of the night
for night is when the light shines brightly
do not be afraid of the silence
for it is the silence in which God speaks
do not be afraid of solitude
for it is the openness where Divine grace enters
do not be afraid of the journey
for it is the journey that brings us home -
You are not seeking Christmas, Christmas is seeking you.
AF
And may Christmas find you where you are. Today, and every time again. Amen.
This post is part of our 12 Days of Christmas Series 2021/22: “Always we begin again…”, a Contemplative Journey towards the heart of Christmas. To enter our virtual gathering space or to subscribe click here. To share your thoughts with us, write us here or comment below.
To offer your gift for this journey, click here.
Peace and Blessings, Almut & Chuck
