Advent Day 1 (well, for me)

So it´s Advent, a season that, when I was Catholic, I loved a lot. I loved the images of light in the dark, I loved the pre-Christmas songs. I loved the joy of the season, because let´s face it... most of the rest of the liturgical year is about how screwed up and nearly irredemable but for Jesus we all are. Anyway, I can´t call myself truly Catholic anymore, but I want to do something for Advent this year.

If you think about it, Advent is just about light and goodness coming into a dark world. Just think of the imagery... dark, cold night in depraved conditions, and BOOM, there´s a warm, fleshy baby Jesus, and suddenly there´s light in the picture (as if stables had electricity in 0 aD)... light radiating from the baby, light from the heavens to the baby, and everyone´s happy. We all need a little light in the dark places of our lives. Well, I can´t content myself to wait for Jesus... Rilke had a nice quote about the birth pangs of the divine, how we all cumulatively bring God into the world. Basically... we should strive for goodness, realize it will be less than comfortable to bring it into being, and try to bring it in anyway.

So for Advent, I want to do one good deed a day, small or big. And the challenge will be that... I´m in a different country. I can´t predict my days, so I just have to be ready, with a mindset to help. I got started today. I was walking toward the city centre to get some passport photos taken for my visa renewal. On the way, I noticed a woman about my age sitting with her back against a building, covered in a blanket, huddled down in a parka and scarf, begging. I´m as skeptical as the next person about beggars. I wonder... are they doing this just to avoid work? Are they going to go buy alcohol? I don´t like giving money. But on the way back from my photos, I stopped in a grocery store to get some things I needed. On the way back, I handed her half my bread. She thanked me. Obviously I didn´t feel that I´d done anything special. In fact, I felt kinda crappy I couldn´t do more. I always wonder if it´s insulting to be handed a piece of bread. I mean, she´s begging, but still... I don´t think 250 calories is going to make much of a dent in her hunger. Well, I´m not in a position to do much more than that. So that´s why I´m trying to start small, with that which I can do. I know that one act changes very little, but maybe someone saw me and will think to do the same somewhere for someone else. Maybe the girl herself will be inspired to action (I´m aware sometimes there is no action to be taken.). Sometimes you can´t do much to change a situation. That doesn´t mean to ignore it. It takes a city.