As we embark on our journey of Advent, anticipating the coming of the Lord, we shall encounter many prophetic utterances depicting a time when the Messiah shall come.
Isaiah paints a prophetic picture in today's first reading.
"The wolf shall be guest to the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together with a little child to guide them."
This prophetic image reminds me of a petting zoo where children run freely and animals stand bravely as the interaction unfolds. Spirits are lifted high and the heart is filled with joy as the amazement of God's creation is imprinted upon the mind of the child.
Advent is time when we reach back into our memories and we rediscover the beauty of being a child; we unlearn all the false pretense that has gathered on us like dust. We shake ourselves free from the solemnity of being all grown up and discover the child that can be amazed and in awe of God's beauty and creation. Advent is where we unlearn our sense of self-importance, unlearn our sense of having to run the world and even run our own lives and we surrender.
We become "childlike" as Jesus invites us in the gospel; we become small and stand in awe of the wonder of it all; we stop trying to solve life's mystery but rather we just embrace the mystery that brings us life.
We become small so that we can fully receive the small gift of salvation wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in the manger. Today we stand before the empty manger in wonder and we grow small filled with giddy laughter as we anticipate the token of God's wonder and awe for us.
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