In Parker Palmer’s book, A Hidden Wholeness, he compares the soul to a wild animal and describes the soul as being both resilient and shy.

“Just like a wild animal, [the soul] seeks safety in the dense underbrush, especially when other people are around.  If we want to see a wild animal, we know that the last thing we should do is go crashing through the woods yelling for it to come out.  But if we will walk quietly into the woods, sit patiently at the base of a tree, breathe with the earth, and fade into our surroundings, the wild creature we seek might put in an appearance.  We may see it only briefly and only out of the corner of an eye—but the sight is a gift we will always treasure as an end in itself.”

I had a moment a few years back where I recognized the state of my shy soul and took a photograph of the nature scene that served as an actual portrait of my soul. I realized and said to myself, “That’s how my soul feels!” The photo included in this article is the photo I took at that time.

I looked out the window and knew, finally, how to name what I had been experiencing over the past several months. I had tried all of the things I knew to do to help me understand what was going on deep inside of me.

I journey each day on a horse-drawn wagon. It is a fine wagon, and I do all I can to ensure that I will go smoothly to my destination. I pack the wheel bearings with grease. The horses are well-shod and seem to be well-suited to their task. Their harnesses and traces are all in good order. I review my map and carefully plan my route.

Yet, each day ends the same. I start off sure of my driving and my direction. No matter how diligently I apply myself to driving the team and following my route, I always end my day in a ditch or discovering that I am badly off my course, or both. It makes no sense. I am doing everything I can and I am getting no closer to my destination.

One evening, as I sat in my frustration, a man appeared and offered to trade his horses for mine. I was suspicious of his offer; his horses did not appear to be at all tame or suited for harness.

In Brennen Manning’s book Abba’s Child, he tells the story of Mike Yaconelli, the cofounder of Youth Specialties who in a time of feeling dejected and demoralized went with his wife to L’Arche (the Ark) community in Toronto, Canada to make a five-day retreat. “He went hoping to draw inspiration from the mentally and physically handicapped people who lived there or find solace in the presence and preaching of Henri Nouwen. Instead, he found his true self.”

Here is Yaconelli’s story as he tells it.

“It took only a few hours of silence before I began to hear my soul speaking. It only took being alone for a short period of time for me to discover I wasn’t alone. God had been trying to shout over the noisiness of my life, and I couldn’t hear Him. But in the stillness and solitude, His whispers shouted from my soul, ‘Michael I am here. I have been calling you, but you haven’t been listening. Can you hear me, Michael? I love you. I have always loved you. And I have been waiting for you to hear me say that to you. But you have been so busy trying to prove to yourself that you are loved….that you have not heard me.’

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. ”Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:10-14)

As we move forward with the final reflection of Tidings of Comfort and Joy, we wholeheartedly celebrate Emmanuel! God is with us! Thank you, Jesus, for coming to us as an infant to show us how to live well with you.

The angelic visits explored so far have been to proclaim the coming Savior; this week, we see the Lord send an angel to the shepherds to declare that the birth of Jesus has come to pass in Bethlehem. With the angel's proclamation, it is time for the world to hear the glad tidings of the promised Messiah. The Lord chooses the shepherds tending sheep to receive the first invitation to seek and find the newborn King.

Joseph’s Narration of God’s Creation

God’s love for the world
was shown in his creation
when His Spirit swirled in formation.

The Word made flesh
which joined them too,
as life came to be made brand new.

Light and sky, land and sea,
illuminating landscapes for all to see.
Plants and trees with beauty appease,
sun, moon, and stars appeared with ease.

Creatures swarmed in the sea,
birds flew high above the trees,
Animals emerged in the distance
as humankind came into existence.

They were image bearers,
the crown of creation
forged to be the Lord’s heart wearers.

Each generation will announce to the next your wonderful and powerful deeds…They will celebrate and sing about your matchless mercy and your power to save. You are merciful, Lord! You are kind and patient and always loving. You are good to everyone, and you take care of all your creation. (Psalm 145:4,7-9)

The image of God we carry influences how we live in times of joy, contentment, and suffering. If we uphold a compassionate and merciful understanding of the Lord, we will more naturally be able to draw closer to His love and presence. On the other hand, a distorted image of God can just as noticeably have us living in fear and anxiety, keeping us disconnected from experiencing comfort and protection in our relationship with God.

Last week, I wrote about Gelassenheit, a mutual yieldedness between us and God. In the Human/With God relationship, there seems to be a pattern that we can take comfort in. The Lord initiates an invitation to us; we have the choice to respond. Then, based on our response, the Lord chooses to bless us or offer us mercy to extend the invitation of His generous love. (Howard, p. 222-223)