The Season Of Advent - Christmas Vignettes 01/12/20
( Welcome to Christmas Vignettes 2020, a short daily reflection on Christmas and its meaning for Christians) A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn Christians have a strong tradition of celebrating Christmas not just as a day, but as an entire season. In fact, according to the traditional Church calendar, the season of Advent actually marks the beginning of the year. The word Advent means “arrival” or “coming”, and the idea is that for the four weeks that lead up to Christmas, we are eagerly waiting for the coming of someone worldchanging. It’s not about the presents! Sometimes I feel like we Christians can be a little severe when it comes to the whole “presents under the Christmas tree” thing. I mean there’s good reason to be skeptical; Christmas in the modern world is a crucial cog in the consumerist machine, manufacturing happiness with material possessions. But there is one good thing that has come out of this practice, and that’s tea