This time of year, we can be found speaking of the Spirit of Christmas...but what is this Spirit?
Is it the gift-giving frenzy?
Is it the song by Ray Charles?
Is it the quality time spent with loved ones?
Is it the ornaments, trees and candles?
Is it the ghosts who visited Scrooge?
Is it putting aside our differences?
Is it the remembrances of a Child born?
What is the Spirit of Christmas? Is it a tangible thing? Or more ethereal, like a ghost, which simply becomes more evident this season?
Thin places (or spaces) are places where the divine seems to touch the earth, or where it seems the spiritual or supernatural becomes more evident to us. Most of us, from any spiritual tradition, can attest to the existence of these places, even if it seems illogical to believe in them.
But I now wonder about the existence of "thin seasons", as well. Seasons when the supernatural makes a point to reach out to us temporal beings; where Spirit becomes almost visible...or maybe we, as humanity, are simply more receptive, when our spiritual senses are heightened.
Realizing I'm tainted by my Christian roots and my Northern Hemisphere cosmic clock, December has always been an extraordinary time of reflection, remembrance, and forward-looking in my life. I feel a communion or kinship with others, and a romance in my soul. An intense desire to be inward-looking, even as I find myself more outward-focused. It's difficult to put a name to it; it's something warm and bright, yet something deep and primal; born, I suppose, by this season of fires and lights.
I used to think this sense of spiritual thinness was due to the anticipated coming of the light again. In the Northern Hemisphere, our shortest day of the year is right before Christmas, so it would make sense that at this time of year something inside us, our circadian rhythm, would let us know about the increasing light, and correlate that with the season and spirit of Christmas. However, as I thought about that, I realized this explanation was too narrow. So I spoke with a few of my Southern Hemisphere friends, whose days will begin becoming shorter post-Christmas, and I realized this same holiday spirit still exists, even though it falls in the summer months, when light is beginning to wane.
I wonder if there is more to it than just the changing of the seasons? I wonder if there is something more powerful happening this time of year than the changing orbit of the earth?
So, then, we are tempted to correlate this Spirit with the Christmas celebration of the birth of Jesus. Surely there is something immensely spiritual about that? Yet, the thing we do know is that we don't really know when Jesus was born, and it's unlikely it was December 25th or January 6th (or the corresponding days on the Roman Calendar). So why do we feel something we call The Spirit of Christmas during this time, even if it does not really fall at the time Jesus was born? This date was simply arbitrarily selected, the reasons seem to be vague.
And, then, why are so many other traditions called to celebrate this time of year, when their celebrations have nothing to do with Jesus? Some of these other traditions were in place before the birth of Jesus, so we can't attribute them to that event.
I know I'm not the only one who feels the depth and beauty which is unique to this time of year. I believe there is a common spiritual thread running through the people in all time which has determined our desire to celebrate this time of year. I believe this time of year is a thin season...because so many spiritual traditions have a major celebration or holy day during the month of December.
I wonder if something was born for us at the dawn of time, long, long ago; a ghost of a season, for humanity to more powerfully and gracefully experience the divine, together, unified, even as disunity prevails?
I wonder if part the Creator's plan was to simply provide a season when we all are inclined to open our hearts to that which we cannot touch or see, so the many spiritual traditions which exist might celebrate together, in one month or season? Once upon a time, the Spirit of Christmas, and Hannukkah, and Kwanzaa, and Yule, and many other spiritual traditions which take place this time of year, was born for us all? I wonder if it flows in the blood of our souls and unites us as humans?
I wonder, could we learn to celebrate the common thread of spiritual wonder and power which occurs this season, even as different as our traditions might be?
I wonder.
I wonder.
Redeeming the Season is the Topic for this month's SynchroBlog. There are a variety of seasons being celebrated at the end of each year, from Christmas to Hannukah to Eid al-Adha and Muharram, from the Winter Solstice to Kwanzaa and Yule. Still, some people celebrate none of these seasonal holydays, and do so for good reason. For more holidays to consider see Wheel of the Year.
Below are a variety of responses to the subject of Redeeming the Season. Some links are active, some are inactive but will become active when published, others will be updated as they become available.
Recapturing the Spirit of Christmas at Adam Gonnerman's Igneous Quill
Swords into Plowshares at Sonja Andrew's Calacirian
Fanning the Flickering Flame of Advent at Paul Walker's Out of the Cocoon
Lainie Petersen at Headspace
Eager Longing at Sam Norton's Elizaphanian
Redeeming Not Just the Season at Brian Riley's Charis Shalom
Secularizing Christmas at JohnSmulo.com
There's Something About Mary at Hello Said Jenelle
Geocentric Versus Anthropocentric Holydays at Phil Wyman's Square No More
Celebrating Christmas in a Pluralistic Society at Matt Stone's Journeys in Between
Season of Redemption by Steve Hayes
Remembering the Incarnation at Alan Knox's The Assembling of the Church
What's So Bad About Christmas? at Julie Clawson's One Hand Clapping
The Obligation of Christmas by Jonathan Brink
A Biblical Approach to a Secular Christmas at Glenn Ansley's Bad Theology
Happy Life Day at AgentB's The Agent B Files
Is it the gift-giving frenzy?
Is it the song by Ray Charles?
Is it the quality time spent with loved ones?
Is it the ornaments, trees and candles?
Is it the ghosts who visited Scrooge?
Is it putting aside our differences?
Is it the remembrances of a Child born?
What is the Spirit of Christmas? Is it a tangible thing? Or more ethereal, like a ghost, which simply becomes more evident this season?
Thin places (or spaces) are places where the divine seems to touch the earth, or where it seems the spiritual or supernatural becomes more evident to us. Most of us, from any spiritual tradition, can attest to the existence of these places, even if it seems illogical to believe in them.
But I now wonder about the existence of "thin seasons", as well. Seasons when the supernatural makes a point to reach out to us temporal beings; where Spirit becomes almost visible...or maybe we, as humanity, are simply more receptive, when our spiritual senses are heightened.
Realizing I'm tainted by my Christian roots and my Northern Hemisphere cosmic clock, December has always been an extraordinary time of reflection, remembrance, and forward-looking in my life. I feel a communion or kinship with others, and a romance in my soul. An intense desire to be inward-looking, even as I find myself more outward-focused. It's difficult to put a name to it; it's something warm and bright, yet something deep and primal; born, I suppose, by this season of fires and lights.
I used to think this sense of spiritual thinness was due to the anticipated coming of the light again. In the Northern Hemisphere, our shortest day of the year is right before Christmas, so it would make sense that at this time of year something inside us, our circadian rhythm, would let us know about the increasing light, and correlate that with the season and spirit of Christmas. However, as I thought about that, I realized this explanation was too narrow. So I spoke with a few of my Southern Hemisphere friends, whose days will begin becoming shorter post-Christmas, and I realized this same holiday spirit still exists, even though it falls in the summer months, when light is beginning to wane.
I wonder if there is more to it than just the changing of the seasons? I wonder if there is something more powerful happening this time of year than the changing orbit of the earth?
So, then, we are tempted to correlate this Spirit with the Christmas celebration of the birth of Jesus. Surely there is something immensely spiritual about that? Yet, the thing we do know is that we don't really know when Jesus was born, and it's unlikely it was December 25th or January 6th (or the corresponding days on the Roman Calendar). So why do we feel something we call The Spirit of Christmas during this time, even if it does not really fall at the time Jesus was born? This date was simply arbitrarily selected, the reasons seem to be vague.
And, then, why are so many other traditions called to celebrate this time of year, when their celebrations have nothing to do with Jesus? Some of these other traditions were in place before the birth of Jesus, so we can't attribute them to that event.
I know I'm not the only one who feels the depth and beauty which is unique to this time of year. I believe there is a common spiritual thread running through the people in all time which has determined our desire to celebrate this time of year. I believe this time of year is a thin season...because so many spiritual traditions have a major celebration or holy day during the month of December.
I wonder if something was born for us at the dawn of time, long, long ago; a ghost of a season, for humanity to more powerfully and gracefully experience the divine, together, unified, even as disunity prevails?
I wonder if part the Creator's plan was to simply provide a season when we all are inclined to open our hearts to that which we cannot touch or see, so the many spiritual traditions which exist might celebrate together, in one month or season? Once upon a time, the Spirit of Christmas, and Hannukkah, and Kwanzaa, and Yule, and many other spiritual traditions which take place this time of year, was born for us all? I wonder if it flows in the blood of our souls and unites us as humans?
I wonder, could we learn to celebrate the common thread of spiritual wonder and power which occurs this season, even as different as our traditions might be?
I wonder.
I wonder.
Redeeming the Season is the Topic for this month's SynchroBlog. There are a variety of seasons being celebrated at the end of each year, from Christmas to Hannukah to Eid al-Adha and Muharram, from the Winter Solstice to Kwanzaa and Yule. Still, some people celebrate none of these seasonal holydays, and do so for good reason. For more holidays to consider see Wheel of the Year.
Below are a variety of responses to the subject of Redeeming the Season. Some links are active, some are inactive but will become active when published, others will be updated as they become available.
Recapturing the Spirit of Christmas at Adam Gonnerman's Igneous Quill
Swords into Plowshares at Sonja Andrew's Calacirian
Fanning the Flickering Flame of Advent at Paul Walker's Out of the Cocoon
Lainie Petersen at Headspace
Eager Longing at Sam Norton's Elizaphanian
Redeeming Not Just the Season at Brian Riley's Charis Shalom
Secularizing Christmas at JohnSmulo.com
There's Something About Mary at Hello Said Jenelle
Geocentric Versus Anthropocentric Holydays at Phil Wyman's Square No More
Celebrating Christmas in a Pluralistic Society at Matt Stone's Journeys in Between
Season of Redemption by Steve Hayes
Remembering the Incarnation at Alan Knox's The Assembling of the Church
What's So Bad About Christmas? at Julie Clawson's One Hand Clapping
The Obligation of Christmas by Jonathan Brink
A Biblical Approach to a Secular Christmas at Glenn Ansley's Bad Theology
Happy Life Day at AgentB's The Agent B Files
16 comments:
Thanks for your thoughts on this subject. I just recently heard the term "thin season" for the first time. It's a very interesting theory and I think it has some validity to it. I wonder, though, if the thin season is not created by culture and used by God rather than created specifically by God for culture. The feelings we have around our birthdays, anniversary's, and other holidays make me wonder this. Regardless of how these thin seasons developed, I think there is definitely an air of opportunity that we should not ignore. Thanks for your post!
I wonder and wonder...
Oh, I definitely need to come back and read this more thoroughly later. I've never heard of any of this!
I guess I've always thought that we've essentially convinced ourselves that this year is a time of more reflection and deepness and joy-- being aware that it is, makes us more aware, and it's a circular effect-- not that it's less meaningful, not at all, but I've never connected anything spiritual or natural to it. But, it definitely could be something more significantly spiritual, I suppose.
Glenn - Interesting thoughts. After pondering, I still think it originated with God, but who knows...in any case, you're right that we should not ignore it.
Paul - Do you wander, too?
Lauren - I used to think it was something we made up...kind-of. But when looking at the multitude of religious celebrations which occur this time of year, I had to think about that.
Thanks for connecting the Thin Places to the season. Good post.
Are there more festivals in other religions at this time of year than there are at other seasons? There are only so many days in the year, and it is difficult to find any time when there isn't a festival for some religion or other.
Hanukkah was a relatively minor observance in Judaism. It has achieved more prominence because of the fuss made about Christmas, so Jews can have something to justify it.
Yes, it is a thin place (or season) for Christians, because it is specifically the time that God draws near, and we think of the theme "God with us". Others who have celebrations at roughly the same time might have different understandings of it.
When I was an Anglican there were different expectations from what there are now I am Orthodox. Back then the Anglicans had a series of nine Sundays before Christmas, which began in spring, and gave quite a powerful build-up to Christmas. I believe they've dropped that now, so the experience of Anglicans now may well be different from what I remember.
Hey Erin..I like this thought..
I think I want to mull it over for awhile...
Hey Erin. It's a really interesting idea. I think it's quite possible, especially as the devil has no original thought and can only copy then distort things God has set in place and so many 'pagan'(for want of a better term) rituals centre around specific times of the year. I don't know, but it's a fascinating concept!
Rach.
Thanks, Pastor Phil.
Steve - Thanks for commenting. I honestly thought about whether or not there are more celebrations this time of year...but in some ways I think they are more significant celebrations this time of year.
I wrote this post instinctively, so I could be wrong.
Che - Let me know what you think.
Rachel - Good point...I'm not sure where it comes from...but I think it exists.
I am sure I don't correctly read, and thus don't understand what Rachel is getting at, but the way I read it piqued my curiosity.
She states that the devil can only distort what has already been put in place. In regards to this season I can't see where she is going with this comment, as Christmas traditions (and the reason for the chosen date) are the second most guilty of christian holidays that rip off of pre-existing traditions/holy days. This would imply that the devil's work was in christmas, but surely this is not what she meant?
As for your post, your reflection on the thin seasons is interesting. I must admit that I don't feel that nearly as much at Yule as I do at Samhain and Beltane. Then again, our traditions tell us that these are the days at which point the veil is at the thinnest.
Steve points out that Hannukah was a minor holiday in the Jewish calendar. I will add to that point by pointing out that while Yule is one of eight Holy Days in our calendar, it is in fact consider a minor festival as well.
I have always taught that the biggest factor that separates us from the Goddess is us. Perhaps these seasons are thin because we make them so. Because the traditions that have been set down lead us to believe we can better understand a higher power, better reach and communicate with it, and as such it becomes so.
Think about it. If you choose for whatever reason to believe that a certain day is the best day,in terms of likely success, to speak to a neighbor you have been feuding with, it doesn't matter if there is any basis to that theory. What matters is that he finds it easier to speak to you once you open the door and step through it.
Steve - I always appreciate your willingness to share your POV here.
I think what Rachel said is a really common and strongly held evangelical view, and I can't fault her for holding it. However, I feel like we can't credit the devil for Paganism, seeing as how (in my understanding) Pagans don't even believe in the devil.
If I was going to credit satan with something, it wouldn't be other religions, but the suffering in the world which many Christians ignore. Satan wants us to turn a blind eye to things like starvation, genocide and AIDS, etc., so he distracts us with arguments about religion, sexual orientation and politics, none of which directly cause or create suffering.
Does that make any sense?
Anyhow, I wrote this post from feeling rather than fact. I personally am tremendously affected by this time of year...I think at least as much by the solstice as by Christmas...in both, a sense of bringing light. It might be heretical to say so, but it's true.
Maybe it's ignorant of me to assume that the other religious observances this season are of equal significance to their observers as Christmas is to Christians. I guess I still think, though, that there are so many religious observances this season, major and minor, that it has to mean something. Maybe, too, that has to do with the Gregorian calendar's end...I don't know.
Maybe, like you say, thin spaces/times are created by us because we need them to be. I guess I can't help but wonder if there isn't something greater at work in that.
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