Slow down you move too fast...

As life would have it, I find I'm reading two books of a similar theme at the same time: World Enough and Time by Christian McEwan is subtitled, "on creativity and slowing down," and A Play-Full Life by Jaco Hamman is also subtitled, "slowing down and seeking peace." Both are inspirational in the best sense of that word ~ and both speak to what I have been discerning in my heart and life for the past five years.  These texts simply articulate what the Spirit has been doing... hmmmmm.  I know that both books will become fodder for my writing after Christmas, but let me share this quote from Jaco in anticipation of Christmas Eve:

One answer to the question: what did Jesus do? is, he walked. Being a peasant, Jesus rarely had the luxury of riding horses or even donkeys. He lived a slow life. A play-full life is lived at the right speed. It is to have enough time to live with joy and in community with others... Most of us live the FAST LIFE... Carl Honore calls it the velocitization of life. We want our red lights to be green; our morning commute to be congestion free so that we can speed along at seventy plus miles and hour; our air travel to be on time. We want to be able to drive up and buy what we need. We want overnight shipping of our online purchases and we seek fast processors for our computers and fast Internet access. We want many channels to surf on television; recorded television shows without advertisements breaks; constant alerts from our Smartphone; our phone directory on speed dial; our emails to be answered immediately; the stock exchange to rebound quickly; our weight loss program to show great results in seven days or less; and, of course, we want fast food.

I see myself named in almost everything in that sad list ~ and felt myself fighting against what I have embraced throughout today.  Stupid ass drivers making annoying decisions on the road, sluggish pedestrians getting in my way of completing my last minute errands, controlling and manipulative traditions, lists to be made and accomplished and so much more.  And over and over again I had to force myself ~ sometimes out loud in the car ~ to pray St. Paul Simon's prayer:  slow down you move to fast... you got to make the morning last. 

And so it goes:  the call is offered and received but conversion is more about my little choices everyday rather than the big one, yes?  And I am dying and being reborn in each of those little choices to slow down and pay attentin so that my life is lived at the right speed.  Fr. Richard Rohr, in commenting on the Vesper antiphons for this day helps when he tells us that the O Antiphon for yesterday ~ Rex in Latin ~ means king, but not our usual understanding of king:

Jesus'  kingship is not a lording it over us “as the pagans do” (Luke 22:24-27). The  true Messiah will utterly redefine power and authority as servanthood (John 13:4-15),  good shepherding (John 10:11-18), and uniting the group in love (John  17:20-24). Ken Wilber says that there is an authority that dominates, and an  authority that protects life and growth, as exemplified by good parents. I am  afraid most of the world is still waiting for this kind of authority, even in  the churches. To this needed, and oh-so-desired kingship, we still say COME!

And today on the eve of the eve,  the  Vesper antiphon is the final invocation before the feast begins  tomorrow at sunset, as is the Jewish custom. The word, of course, is from that  central prophecy for Christians from Isaiah 7:14: “A virgin/maiden shall be  with child, and will give birth to a son, and she will call him Emmanuel” (which means God-with-us). God-with-us is a divine promise first to Israel, and through  them to all of us, of God's unilateral faithfulness to humanity and God's  eternal initiative toward all that is created. That's why we Franciscans  said that Christmas was already Easter! Note that in the original text in  Isaiah these words are spoken to pious and foolish King Ahaz. Yahweh has told  him to “ask for a sign” (7:11). Ahaz is holier than God and refuses to do so,  and so Yahweh takes the initiative, admitting that old Ahaz is “trying both  human and divine patience” (7:13) and gives him a totally compelling sign  anyway. In other words, Yahweh is going to come as an uninvited,  unrecognized, and even unexpected guest, which is pretty much the eternal  pattern.

To put it even more plainly,  Yahweh says I am going to be with you whether you know it or not, ask for it  or not, or enjoy it or not. God is GIVEN once, and for all, and forever, to  the human species and to the whole created world! That is the meaning of  Incarnation, the meaning of Emmanuel, and the first and final meaning of  Christmas. (Maybe without fully knowing why, we centered in on a very prophetic text when we sang and quoted Isaiah 7:14, but like so much of the Bible, the text gets even more powerful when you read it in full context.) Now read  it in the context of your own life!

Lord, may it be born and nourished within and among us...