December 2011 – Page 5 – 300 words a day

Advent 10: Missing Children

We’ve had moments when we have wondered where our children are. Once, when Andrew was 6 or 7, we spent what seemed like hours searching for him at a theme park. But three days? I’m guessing that we would be pretty frantic if we couldn’t find either of our children for three days. We would […]

by Jon Swanson

Advent 9: Expectation

Our dog, Shiloh, loved treats. He needed them, so he thought, before eating his regular food. He whined. He danced around. He nudged us. And he watched. When we told him to sit and wait, he sat and waited. But his eyes never left our hands. He watched. When we walked into the laundry room […]

by Jon Swanson

Advent 8: Consolation

Q: Who needs consolation? A: Those who have lost hope. Simeon was a man looking for consolation. Not for himself, but for Israel. He lived among people who had had everything. They had kings, a temple, armies, God. They were not just a people, they were God’s people. Now? Puppet kings. A temple built by […]

by Jon Swanson

Advent 7: Shepherds

On the first day of a new job, one of the first tasks is to introduce the newbie to everyone. It’s part of the orientation, part of saying to the newbie, “here is who you are part of, here is the heritage you are joining.” On the night Jesus was born, an angel stood in […]

by Jon Swanson

Advent 6: Hungry

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas in the US, food is plentiful and hunger scarce. At least that’s what many people talk about as they complain of weight gain and holiday parties. However, anyone with connections to food banks and helping agencies is aware that gas bills often eat better than their owners. People who live at […]