Here is a detail of Giotto's early 14th century wall painting of Christ's Nativity, found in the Scrovegni Chapel outside Padua, Italy. The Holy Child is wrapped in swaddling clothes. A midwife assists. Mary's eyes and the Child's eyes interlock. It is suggested that Mary is not reaching to take the Child to herself, but rather, perhaps knowing something of the future, it is the first moment of her letting go. She is mother, but also first disciple. She patterns for us what it means to let go. "Let go and let God," the bumper sticker says.
Lots of folks can't let go. In our neediness, we can't let go of other people. There's the corporation that can't let go of greed. The hierarch, president, premier, pastor, judge, majority/minority leader, who can't let go of power. The cleric who can't let go of status. Parents who can't let go of their children. The partisan who can't let go of ideology or candidate-worship. The Christian who can't let go of possessions or resentments. And for all of this, we remain exhausted, spiritually impoverished, un-evolved, incomplete. So here's a Christmas prayer-wish for all of us:
Deep peace of God's Bethlehem newness to you.
Deep peace of Christ's Nativity night.
Deep peace of Mary's shepherd-welcoming.
Deep peace of Joseph's dream awakeness.
Deep peace of your inner desert blooming.
Deep peace of Christ's coming to you.
Deep peace of Christ's visitation in disguise.
Deep peace of learning to love rightly.
Deep peace of discovering our human commonality.
Deep peace of embracing God's first book of nature.
Deep peace of your growing a non-violent Christ-heart.
Deep peace of living without desires and distracting pleasantries.
Deep peace of living without power.
Deep peace of God living in every human person.
Deep peace of being conscious of God.
Deep peace of interior silence to you.
Deep peace of changing, but changing only yourself.
Deep peace of changing, but changing only yourself.
Deep peace of lessened anxiety and dread.
Deep peace of do-ing, but doing only for God.
Deep peace of retaining the Holy Spirit.
Deep peace of retaining the Holy Spirit.
Deep peace of a clean heart to you.
Deep peace of a de-militarized heart.
Deep peace of an inclusive heart.
Deep peace of a confident heart.
Deep peace of the children of God.
Deep peace of a de-militarized heart.
Deep peace of an inclusive heart.
Deep peace of a confident heart.
Deep peace of the children of God.
