Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Massage Therapy

Baxter loves to have a massage. His favorite spots are behind the ear, the jowls, under the chin, and the lower back in front of his tail. When he crawls on my lap and I begin this spa treatment, he falls into ecstasy. His eyes roll back and he purrs ceaselessly. He falls into a trance, and he can’t get enough of the feeling of pleasure and contentment he experiences. He eventually falls asleep for a few minutes, then he awakens suddenly, full of energy. Baxter has been recharged by the short interval of relaxation I provided him.

Advent is a time when God massages our spirits. Sometimes they can get beat down by the harshness of our world. We get selfish to protect ourselves from being exploited. We get rude and pushy to fit into the fast pace and competition around us. We harden our hearts to not have them hurt by another’s thoughtlessness. We become like our surroundings to survive in this cat eat cat environment in which we sometimes find ourselves.

Then God announces a time out. Advent speaks to the troubled human spirit. Israel stood wounded, humiliated, overwhelmed and weak under the Roman thumb. God touches these sensitive spots first with words. “Comfort, give comfort to my people,” says the Lord. Then He describes the treatment. “Lift the valleys and lower the mountains; shine light in the darkness; bend the spears into pruning hooks and the swords into plows; give birth to a child who will cause people to wonder again and work for peace.” Advent massages our spirits with a vision that reverses the toll that the negative forces around us exact. It gives us hope and the desire for true happiness again.

But we have to stop and allow God’s Word to touch us. We will never feel the effects of this treatment if we keep too busy or remain too fearful to let our defenses down. God can heal our spirits troubled by an anxious and threatening world, where we have become strangers to each other for fear that an enemy lurks in our midst. Advent is the ticket to the spa we call a creche. There God’s gentle touch opens our hearts to His grace by bringing the poor and the rich, the wise and the simple, all creatures, together to adore the wondrous mystery of divine Love incarnate.

Baxter knows when he needs a gentle rub in the right places to stay calm and peaceful. Advent provides us with gentle touches of God’s healing presence. Don’t miss them.