Monday Manna
Advent hope and finding drishti...
Good morning, friends, and deep blessings to you as we begin Advent this week ~
Yesterday marked the start of Advent, today is World AIDS day (despite the Trump administration saying they are “cancelling” it), and our Advent theme for the week is HOPE. The four weeks of Advent (this special season in the church leading up to Christmas) are marked by four candles, each one representing a theme: week one is hope, two is peace, three is joy, and four is love.
As we start what has become my favorite liturgical season, I am finding it extra meaningful this year that the Advent themes begin with hope. We need to have this foundation before we can even begin our journey toward Christmas. Everything we dream of and wait for is predicated on a sturdy, strong hope.
Sometimes, the word “hope” can feel kind of nebulous or squishy — maybe put in the same container as a “wish.” But I like to think of hope as the deepest, oldest, most beautifully worn granite that’s endured millions of years, or the grit and determination of spirit that holds a singularity of focus nothing can dissipate.
I love OnBeing host, Krista Tippett’s, encouragement she once gave to “learn to practice a muscular hope, a resilient orientation to life that looks reality in the face and refuses to accept despair” (emphasis mine). I think that word — practice — is key here. Hope needs continual renewal, as it can so easily be worn thin. I mean, look at the year we’ve had this year, friends.
But I love that image — muscular, resilient….we throw our arms open to embrace the world exactly as it is, while giving every ounce of strength we have and everything we are to make this world more like God’s dream. And isn’t this what we see exemplified in Jesus, who gave everything to become one with the world that it might be transformed from the inside out by love?
This is what the promise, the hope, of Christmas is all about — a changed world is coming, a healed world is happening, because God dwells with us and in us. We believe the place we begin — the place everything began — is and was original goodness. And we’re headed there. And hold it within us.
I’ll leave you with something I just learned last week at my friend’s hot yoga class which I think will help us practice and grow our muscular hope (sweaty poses aside). We were early on in the class when my friend, Cindi, leading said, “each time you enter into your pose, you must find drishti, which is one of the five main foundations.”
In all my years of yoga, I had never heard of drishti…
Drishti is a sanskrit word meaning “vision” or “focus.” And what Cindi went on to say is, “you must find a single focal point for your eyes, whatever pose you are in.” So when we moved into downward dog, Cindi said, “find drishti,” and I focused on the flower insignia on the mat between my feet. Then into upward dog, Cindi said, “find drishti,” and I focused on the butterfly painted on the wall. Then into warrior two, and I found drishti by looking right beyond the end of my middle finger. Whatever pose I was in, I found my focus and stillness. It made me realize how much I am often looking around, scanning, observing, comparing, and how free, grounded, and strong I felt when I had my singular focus.
I’ve been thinking about how drishti connects with life off of the mat, and especially how hope can be our drishti as we enter Advent. There is so much happening around us causing distraction and dismay, but when we have drishti, we aren’t as easily swayed. We are granite, as well as the strong, flowing river that carved it.
And when you find yourself worn thin, remember we do not create our hope and focus ourselves, but draw it from the reservoir of God’s love.
“Hope does not disappoint us, for the love of God has been poured out into our hearts” (Romans 5:5).
Find drishti, friends.
A Prayer
I can’t talk about the theme of hope without mentioning my friend, MaryAnn McKibben Dana ‘s wonderful book on it — “Hope: A User’s Manual.” Talk about practicing a muscular and resilient hope! I had the gift of writing a discussion guide that went with the book, which included this prayer. A word of “drishti” for us as we begin our Advent journey…
Gracious Guide,
I take your hand for the road.
You promise I can trust you on this journey
toward a sturdier hope—
a path I form through one consistent step...
and another...
and another...
With my hand in yours,
my feet can move forward,
even when my feelings have not.
I can live and love my way into a
whole new way of being.
With you as my Companion,
I will choose courage.
As I am remade,
so is your world.
Amen.
*Isaiah 30:20-21* *Romans 8:28* *Psalm 139:10*
“Your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” ~ Isaiah 30:21
Something that nourished me recently…
*Today is World AIDS day, friends, and while the government is inexplicably trying to stop it, we shall not be moved. Please find a way to support and get involved, even if it’s wearing a red ribbon. We belong to each other. Witnessing people standing together in this is manna and hope to my heart. Check out this website here.
*Our family bundled up for a very chilly Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. After much complaining everyone then decided they wanted to do it again next year. 😂 It was fun to test out my new watercolor floral leggings. They are great for running! And we also celebrated my amazing partner turning 44 on Thanksgiving day.
*This Advent Calendar ~ I’ve talked before about some of my favorite Advent traditions, including making these beeswax candles for our Advent Wreath with the kids. But we are also going to be savoring the beautiful list of daily prompts from the amazing Traci Smith who put together a “31 days of Light and Kindness” for the month of December. She is giving it away for FREE! You can download it here. We’ve already got ours up on our fridge. And if you want even more wonderful ideas, check out Traci Smith’s book, “Faithful Families for Advent and Christmas.”
Ash and Starlight, plus other good things…
* MY ETSY SHOP ~ I sent out a post last week with a list of a bunch of things on my shop in time for the holidays, including clothes, a couple of prints for Christmas, as well as an array of other prints. Paid subscribers receive my holiday “Peace of Earth” print as a free download which you can print as many times as you like. ❄️A portion of each sale here goes to World Central Kitchen which provides food relief. You can view the shop here.
*SECOND EDITION OF ASH AND STARLIGHT ~ Find the updated edition of my book here at Chalice or at the Bookshop link.
*MONDAY MANNA ARCHIVES ~ Monday Manna each week is free! Paid supporters of Monday Manna can view previous Monday Manna reflections here, or for the really old stuff, go to my website.
*WHAT DOES MANNA MEAN? ~ Check out an earlier post to learn how this little bit of “daily bread” got its name…
With you, friends, as we practice a muscular hope and find drishti. Blessings to you as we begin Advent together.
Love and Light,
Arianne
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Drishti! Love it.
And because there’s magic in the world, that word wanted to autocorrect to “Christ.”