Advent's Flow

Life requires water. We all know this; at some point in science class, we learned that the average adult human body is 50% to 65% water (averaging around 57% to 60%), and that we can only live about three to four days—a week, tops—without drinking water. It is no wonder that in the earliest myths of humans, creation comes out of the waters.

However, as with everything, too much water isn’t a good thing. In Genesis 1, we learn that waters covered the earth, and God had to gather the water under the sky into a basin so that dry land could appear. At present, about 71% of earth’s surface is covered by water.

I've been thinking about this need for moderation, even when it comes to that which brings life, during Advent. At the Mount, activities abound as we prepare to celebrate the Nativity—cookie baking, decorating, community outreach projects, special dinners for employees and volunteers, and outings with our living groups, for example. On the other hand, Advent calls us to “be still and know that I am God.” It seems like an ideal time to practice moderation in all things, because with too much activity, we can become overtired and lose our center, yet with too much prayer, we can miss out on opportunities to encounter Christ in others.

Just as some people’s bodies are 50% water and others are 65% water, we each need to find our own ideal ratio of Advent action and contemplation. Most importantly, whether we are baking or decorating, chanting or meditating on Advent texts, may we invite Christ, the water of life, to flow through our prayer and service.