A Fragile Moment of Joy

This year, we are living out salvation history. I cannot remember a time when our experience mirrored the Christmas story as well as this year does. We had our wanderings in the desert, our Advent, and now our fragile moment of joy. We move forward with hope knowing that there will be difficulties along the way. 

Pandemic is clearest, for all. Our desert wanderings were, and continue to be, in our own homes. Our Advent was daily news of vaccines. Our fragile moment of joy is watching others being inoculated. Our hope is for our own health and vaccinations for our communities, families, and friends. 

Politics is clear for me, though not for all, I acknowledge. Four years of desert was disbelief after disbelief, culminating in more than a year of campaigns winnowing down the options. A two-month Advent was waiting for the results to be verified and accepted. Now the fragile joy is an administration being birthed. Our hope – and I wish so much that this is shared by all – is for a politics where colleagues respect each other and act decisively for the good of the country.

Papacy. Papacy? We’re still in the desert, but the wandering has not been pointless. We have advanced the cause of women, so much so that Pope Francis wants us to recognize all the appointments he has made. As he begins traveling again, I hope some intrepid reporter on the plane asks a question that generates an off-the cuff recognition. I hope the German Synod process provides a way forward to structural change in the status of women. I hope an international Maria2.0 movement can show the world how shared our aspirations are. I hope the new Deacon commission recognizes the precedent of women leaders in the early church. And I hope WOC and all our allies move from the desert to an Advent space, actively waiting for justice for women to be birthed.

I hope we look back on this year of our history, recognizing the pain and yet with pride in what we did. Joy after pain is the experience of birth.