Sisters and Brothers in Christ

There is a story about the Buddha just after his enlightenment passing a man on the road who was struck by the radiance and peacefulness of his presence. The man asked, "My friend, what are you? Are you a celestial being or a god?"

"No," said the Buddha.

"Well, then, are you some kind of magician or wizard?"

Again the Buddha answered, "No."

"Are you a man?"

"No."

"Well, my friend, what then are you?"

The Buddha replied, "I am awake."

The stream of messages that flows from Advent are: be awake! prepare! take care! watch out! be watchful! be aware! be on the alert! All the messages of Advent have to do with our state of consciousness. Indeed, what more are you or I than our current state of consciousness?

The urgency of Advent is for the purpose of bringing you and me to a place of conscious receptiveness. This is our period of "prenatal" care for each of us carries the germinal seed of unspeakable Beauty. Only through awareness can that enlightenment shine out. Advent is the time of preparation for that shining.

Children of star dust Advent is our time to begin to shine again. Nativity can only happen if we are awake. I am not simply talking about adhering to some doctrine or system of belief here; I am talking about giving birth to the Divine so God can touch this world and make it new over and over again through you and through me. Our prenatal care requires a heavy dose of watchfulness and wakefulness for the dull sleep of distraction is never far away and is terribly seductive.

Enlightened ones what are you? Are you vessels of grace winding your way towards the wakefulness that is Bethlehem? Are you the ones who will bring Christ into the world over and over again, birth after birth, Nativity after Nativity? If so then walk with the Buddha upon the road of enlightenment. Be aware that without you Bethlehem will remain forever dark.

Joel t