Friday, Second Week of Advent:

I’m a water guy. For nearly two decades, I’ve been open water swimming three times a week, four months a year. During this time, I’ve developed a deep and abiding appreciation for my local lake, where I have logged considerable swimming miles.

That’s why this water-themed passage from today’s reading from the Prophet Isaiah resonated with me: your prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the sea.

This, the prophet tells us, is what the Lord promises, “if you would hearken to my commandments.”

Beyond the references to the river and sea, I love the use of the word hearken, which implies something beyond mere listening, but rather paying special attention.

For me, this is very much like the practice of open-water swimming, which is a multi-sensory experience. The lake and sky present an ever-changing palette, moving between gold, red, slate gray, and countless shades of blue depending on the season and time of day. Beyond the initial visual stimulus, being at or in the lake offers so much more…if you’re paying attention. Rolling waves, gentle ripples on the surface, pockets of hot and cold water, shifting currents—it seems that the more you tune in, the more the lake is trying to tell you.

Although it has been months since I’ve swam outside, I believe this highly attuned disposition is very much what Advent is meant to be like. Paying special attention. Looking beyond what is obvious. Listening. Searching for subtle signals. Appreciating the beauty that surround us. Accepting and even welcoming change.

As Isaiah reminds us, “I, the Lord, your God teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go.” Heeding these lessons, allowing ourselves to be led by God, requires we slow down and tune in. As we wait for the arrival of Jesus, the Word made flesh, let us do so with all our senses, from a stance of wonder and welcome.