“There is One Presence and One Power active in the universe and in my life.” I think of that power as Love and when I am awake to it, I know joy. It’s not always a jumping up and down joy; sometimes it whispers and feels like peace and harmony. Sunday morning felt electric with the music and the energy in the room. Sunday evening felt joyous, calm, and harmonious as Barbie and I hosted the new member dinner at my home.
Joy comes when we choose to be present to the love within and share it with those in our families, communities and beyond. May we lean into joy with our prayers and actions, not just in Advent, but at every opportunity. The following story invites us to put the truth we know into action.
“It was a cold December day when a shopper, during the same busy Christmas season we are all experiencing, paused on her rounds and was touched by the sight of an unshaven, homeless old man sitting on a park bench. His jacket was threadbare and he had a paper bag around his neck to keep out the cold. She just stood there and sorrowed for the man. About that time, a young girl was passing by, and she stopped and removed a woolen scarf from her neck and wrapped it around the man's neck and slipped away. This pure, childlike expression of the indwelling Christ-power not only comforted the old man, it transformed the woman who witnessed the gesture. She made a commitment to not live her life as an idle spectator, but to wrap others in compassion and understanding.” (from Spiritual Passages)
We can wrap our friends in Australia, Rhode Island, Gaza, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine in prayer as we grieve together the loss of life. May they know that many communities recognize the beauty and value of each life. We are One.
There are tragedies unfolding, yet we know the Light has come into the world and it is stronger than the darkness. In this season of Light, we hold onto this truth, and we look for the day when peace prevails. We are the place where love and joy show up.
Enjoy Eddie Watkins Jr. singing I Am The Place Where God Shows Up.
In love and joy,
Rev. Patty 
