Jesus is encouraging those who want to learn from him to stay awake to a coming meaningful event. It is the coming of the Son of Man. It is a highly misunderstood and misinterpreted event. The coming of the Son of Man refers to Resurrection. Like Jesus’ coming at birth, the soon to be celebrated Christmas event, so too Jesus’ coming at Resurrection is a blessed and happy event. It is an awakening of Real Presence into the world. Both Jesus’ birth and Resurrection however are marred by empire and its inherent violence. Rulers and their soldiers responded murderously to both events. The same violence is directed towards people who live a life challenging empire. We therefore cannot be lulled into lives of sleepiness or complacency in regards to the meaningfulness of our lives. We must, as Jesus urges, “Stay awake.”
Staying awake is the first step needed along a spectrum of action that shapes the Advent season. We must rouse ourselves to full wakefulness. It is possible to be less so. We might be physically awake but our minds reduced to some lesser state of consciousness. It is akin to day dreaming but more truthfully a type of hypnotic trance. We allow our conscious and conscientious core to be diminished or made passive. Others will convince us that everything is going to be OK. We just need to go along, give empire’s rulers, especially this new one, Trump, a chance. We let that which might wake us to full consciousness be dulled. We allow that which might nudge at our conscience to be minimized. It happens in a cloud of pleasantries and entertaining diversions. Being oh so pleasantly entertained into a sleep-like or passive state we are of little consequence to empire and its destructive machinations. So too we are of little help to the common good and the healing power needed.
It is as T.S. Eliot writes in The Dry Salvages, “but the sudden illumination—We had the experience but missed the meaning.” Are we experiencing life but not really, because we are asleep to its meaningfulness? “Stay awake” to who we are, our gifts and calling and to diversions from them. “Stay awake” to the energy we have and if drained find our replenishment of people, places, and practices. “Stay awake” to the wisdom surrounding us and within us. “Stay awake” to new birth and to the people and possibilities seeking to be born. “Stay awake” to life and its meaningfulness.
Prayer: Spirit of wakefulness, may we be roused from complacency into action
Question: In what ways am I sleepwalking through my life?
November 27, 2016 Gospel Matthew 24:37-44 First Sunday of Advent