ADVENTure Abounds

Something has been pulling at me to focus on how Hiking the Trail relates back to my own Christian journey. I sat down to look at the real meaning of the word Advent. It was interesting to me that the Latin  origin of advent is adventurus meaning "about to happen" and adventure is adventus meaning "I am coming." Both words trace back to the word advenine which means "arrival." I feel that there is some sense of adventure that comes with advent. The anticipation of what was to come for the shepherds in the fields. The journey of Mary and Joseph and the Magi as they made their way to Bethlehem. With adventure sometimes comes obstacles, and all those involved had to face them, but in the end, is the arrival at the place you are headed. 

With an adventure also comes preparation. For a hike, I have to pack my bag and make sure I have food, water, extra socks, a rain jacket, a compass, and of course, a map. As we wait for the arrival of Christ, we prepare our homes with greenery and decor, our tables with foods and sweets, and out hearts with anticipation and joy. But what about our soul? How do we really prepare of the birth of our Savior--the one who will teach us to live? Jesus is our compass--our North star--the guiding light. The Bible can be seen as our map, prayer and meditation is the nourishment for our soul and remembering our baptism is the water that quenches the thirst. All of these things prepare us for the journey--the adventure of Advent. 

For me this Advent, I am focusing on the adventure of exploring the natural world. Of seeing the beauty in creation and finding ways to be sustainable in life. Genesis starts with the creation of the Earth. God made all things with a purpose. As I teach biology to my sophomores and juniors, I remind them daily that all thing's in the natural world have a structure and function. The two things go hand-in-hand. They each drive the importance of the other and changes to that structure impact the function and vise versa. This struck me the other day, because we as humans have changed the structure and function of our world.  Since the beginning we have taken from the Earth for nourishment, shelter, and recreation. As we have developed more industrialized civilizations, we have take more and more from the Earth. How are we being stewards of our planet--of God's creation?

As I teach my students about Environmental Science, I am constantly bombarded with the doomsday stories of climate change. We have driven species to extinction, changed landscapes forever, polluted natural resources--but have we reached the end? I don't think so. God reminds us everyday that nature is resilient and that there is always a season of rebirth. As the natural world around us becomes dormant, it too is in a season of advent. One of waiting and preparing for the arrival of Spring--rebirth, new growth, and beginnings. It is ironic to me that the birth and death of Christ happen in what one might think of as opposite seasons. Winter is usually associated with death because of the dormancy and spring with birth and renewal. But just as we prepare our hearts and minds for the birth of Christ this advent season, we are also preparing for his death, which in turn gave us new life. 

As you go through the hustle and bustle of this holiday season, keep in mind how you are being a steward of one of the greatest gifts from God, creation. 

Psalm 84:5 "Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage."