Hey everyone, this post is going to go a little deep into an important part of Christianity, While it's focused on an aspect of Christmas that the staff here at The Chant believe in, I know we all don't ascribe to the same beliefs. However, it might be thought provoking and interesting to anyone. It is the Christmas Season though, and in the spirit of giving I hope you like it. I know Sarge did.
"But I want it now!"
Remember when you were a kid and you were so excited about Christmas that you just couldn't wait for the day to arrive? The anticipation was so great that it made Christmas morning so incredibly special. I'm sure for many of us it was the excitement about getting gifts, vice the coming of our Savior Jesus, but as we've grown, have we shifted our focus and do we have that same feeling about Jesus coming? Another example of excited waiting was going to Disneyland or Disney World as kids. Those parks are far more crowded than when we were kids, and so the wait to get on many rides is probably far longer today. If you haven't been to Disneyland in a while, they have upgraded their "Fast-Pass" system to Disney "Genie," probably tying it into Aladdin's Genie which was a magical being who could make amazing things happen with little effort. The FastPass system gets you into a ride with little waiting, putting you at the front of those folks without a pass, who might have been queuing up for upwards of 2 hours or more.
The Genie is a paid add-on to your ticket that eliminates ANY waiting at all, using an app which gives you a specific time to show up and get right in. It's instant gratification! But does that make it less special? Probably so. Waiting for something we want very much, for something we love very much, helps build patience and also helps maintain the specialness of what we're focused on. Today, we can get almost everything without waiting. You want your favorite food? Door-Dash! A gift or something we need? Amazon same-day delivery! You don't even have to leave your house!
I admit that some of these technological advancements are wonderful. No need to go to the library to look in an encyclopedia for information about one subject or another, since all the world's knowledge is one google-click away. Banking is far easier today with a well-connected world. But there's a downside. The dopamine rush we might get from the little ding on our phones when we get a text, or when someone comments or likes a photo we posted can turn that instant gratification into a bit of narcissism. The fact that we have social media feeds, or books, or little games on our phones, makes waiting in line somewhere, or even at a red light (please don't!) not only more tolerable, but it actually can make us impatient and too focused on having constant stimuli. Our attention spans can lessen, and we might miss the real world that happens if we'd only lift our heads.
However, we can't get Jesus on an app. We can't use our phones to make Christmas come faster. The season of Advent is a time to wait. In our waiting we are expected to make preparations - decorations, maybe some shopping, some prayer, but nonetheless, it - is - a - time - to - wait. Waiting is an essential part of life. Like those Christmas mornings when we were children, or that trip to see Mickey- there is not a great moment in our lives that has not been made greater in the anticipation − in the waiting. And there is a purpose to that waiting. To wait is not a negative consequence. It is not an absence or unnecessary delay of gratification, but it is a deliberate action. As we wait, time passes during which there can be some introspection, or some healing, or maybe some growth and resolution, or even forgiveness (time heals all wounds). Waiting is also an integral part of human growth and development. It is at the heart of our growing up and our becoming God’s children. We should focus on the true meaning of Christmas, on the coming of our Lord at the culmination of the season. During that wait, maybe we could even put down our phones and use that "dead time" for prayer, making us come alive again for the true reason for the season.
This version is good, and nice to look at of course, but I prefer this one.
Yes, a little foreshadowing, but it's not like I'm spoiling the ending! Source
Tuna, Excellent!! Truly Excellent!!
ReplyDeletejuvat
Nat King Cole....oh yah.....with this post I can put the hammer away, you hit the nail on the head.......:)
ReplyDeleteBoth versions are great! Nat King Cole had such a great voice! The splendor (in so many respects) of the Irish version is certainly worthy of praise as well.
DeleteBoat Guy
Patience. The things I am the mostest worstest at - almost more so than using grammar. But very much on target, Tuna. Thank you.
ReplyDelete(Yes, I remember the days of ticket books and waiting in lines at Disney).
A good reminder that time IS. And the reason for the season. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteExcellent. Waiting is a most important skill, little demonstrated.
ReplyDeleteCrusty Old TV Tech here. Advent is a wondrous time. Penitential, like Lent, but with Christ's Coming as the theme. Hope, anticipation, growing excitement. Then, the story is told, from St. Luke, or St. Matthew, as it has been told for millenia. Lux lucet in tenebris.
ReplyDeleteDanke schoen Tuna.
May you all enjoy a blessed Christmas!
Amen.
DeleteAntici.......
ReplyDeleteWell said. Orthodox practice has the Nativity Fast, also called the Winter Lent. A time of reflection, introspection, and preparation for the Feast of the Nativity According to the Flesh. Without the preparation, the fasting, and the waiting, you can't truly appreciate the Feast.
......patio.
n.
DeleteVery good post. And instant-gratification and short-attention-span, what some call the 'Sesame Street' condition, is a problem. One of the 'nice' things about the early days of the Covidiocracy was the 'wait in line 6' apart' to get in a store. I had some very interesting conversations with my fellow masked standers.
ReplyDeleteAs to 'Hark,' yeah, either version is great. I love Christmas carols, hymns and songs sung correctly (and on-key, very big point, must be on-key.)
That last photo? One of the nice things about getting married in late December was the church was already decorated. Very nice, very very nice. Made it feel even more special than I think it could have been.
Very nice.
ReplyDeleteOne nice thing about Amazon is that they offer products some of us "need" which are simply not otherwise available locally.
ReplyDeleteIn east central Florida, for example!
Thank you for that post. May God Bless and Merry Christmas
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone, and a Blessed Advent & Merry Christmas to you and yours!
ReplyDeleteLeader of our jr. chorus used Nat Cole's version of several carols as examples of how the lyrics were to be pronounced.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, everybody!!
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