The Second Sunday of Advent
“21st Century Van Der Neer” by Susan Young
God in our deficit
By Anna Wulfekuhle
In a manner unmistakably characteristic of both my executive function and spiritual life, I forgot I agreed (read: volunteered) to write this reflection.
Yes, I already hung the stockings and put up the tree and wrapped the gifts and arranged the wreath and lit the candle, but I arrived at Advent once again in an embarrassing state. I am rushing, overwhelmed, restless. I’ve scrolled past the seemingly endless seasonal devotional offerings and deleted myriad emails promising me my Best Advent Ever.
The readings for this second Sunday of Advent are no joke. But I haven’t carved out space to meditate on them, to invite the Holy Spirit to reveal something to me that I’m supposed to write for you. There’s no use in my wearing piety as a mask so you’ll think better of me. My spiritual life is kind of a disaster.
And yet.
Jesus is coming. His surprised young parents are poor travelers living under occupation, and he is coming. He is coming into the world, and I want to be there to meet him.
I know the virtue, the discipline, the perseverance it will ask of me. I just don’t have it. I’ve never been so conscious of my weakness, the noise and nonsense I’ve padded my life with, my excuses, and my failures, never so conscious of my need for a savior— not in a “crying at adoration” way but in an “ego death on my living room floor” way. I need Jesus to be Emmanuel, to be God with me.
The collect for Mass today has something for me— as the collect always does— and so I offer it here:
Almighty and merciful God,
may no earthly undertaking hinder those
who set out in haste to meet your Son,
but may our learning of heavenly wisdom
gain us admittance to his company.
May we meet God in our deficit, in the darkness, and hasten back home to the one who is never far from us.
Anna Wulfekuhle is a San Diego-based, multi-hyphenate theatre maker. By day, she teaches preschool.
Susan Young is a recently retired engineer who is finally able to focus on art. She works in various 2D media highlighting the wonders in this world our God created. Instagram: @susan.young.art