The Eye of The Storm

Stay awake, for you do not know the time the Lord will come.

There is a condition spreading through our society

that psychologists call "hurry sickness."

It is the chronic feeling

that there is never enough time.

We rush from one task to the next,

one meeting to the next meal,

one obligation to another commitment.

Our calendars overflow.

Our minds race.

And our to-do lists regenerate

faster than we can check items off.

This is our story today, my friends.

This is the story of our parish,

our community here in Silicon Valley.

We live in a culture of chronic busyness,

and the irony is that many of the things

keeping us so busy are genuinely good things.

Work that matters.

People we love.

Causes we care about.

But even good things,

when they consume us completely,

they can leave us spiritually depleted,

unable to hear the still, small voice of God.

And now comes Advent.

Now comes the busiest season of the year,

when our regular business goes into high gear.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas,

we add shopping, decorating,

parties, concerts, and celebrations

to our already overflowing calendars.

It seems almost impossible

to stay awake and attentive

when we are running on empty,

exhausted by hurry sickness.

Yet this is precisely when God's story breaks through.

This is when scripture challenges us:

"Stay awake!

For you do not know on which day your Lord will come."

Jesus is not asking us

to be anxious or hypervigilant.

He is inviting us to be present.

Present to the moment.

Present to one another.

Present to Him.

God's story reminds us

that we are beginning a new liturgical year,

entering into Cycle A,

where we hear from Matthew's Gospel.

We are stepping into four weeks of preparation,

four weeks to ready our hearts

for the profound mystery

that God became one of us,

that the Word became flesh

and dwelt among us.

But here is God's challenge to us:

This preparation is not about

adding one more thing to our to-do list.

It is not about waiting

until the storm passes,

until life slows down,

until we finally finish everything.

God's challenge is to move

into the center of the storm,

to find the eye of the storm

where there is stillness and peace,

even as chaos swirls around us.

Now here is our challenge in Silicon Valley,

in this place where innovation and productivity

are celebrated above nearly everything else.

Here, where our worth

often feels measured by our output,

by what we produce,

by how busy we are.

Our challenge is to remember

that God is with us

whether we are busy or quiet,

whether we are at work or at school or at home,

whether we are sick or healthy,

young or old.

God's presence does not depend on our productivity.

The key is not to add one more item to our checklist.

The key is to pause in the midst of it all

and say a short prayer.

To be present to this moment.

To notice God's presence

right here, right now.

And so, my friends,

here is my challenge to each of you,

and it is my challenge to myself as well.

This Advent,

do not wait for the storm to pass.

Look for the stillness within it.

Do not wait until life slows down to pray.

Pray now,

in the midst of it all.

Let me teach you a simple practice

called the Nine Breaths Prayer.

I know I taught you before but it is tried and true.

It takes only two minutes,

and we are going to do it together right now.

This is a way to be attentive to God's presence,

to slow down enough

to silence our minds.

Close your eyes.

Focus all your attention

on your breathing in and out.

Inhale and exhale slowly three times.

Now inhale and exhale slowly

another three times,

inaudibly saying "Jesus" as you inhale,

and "I love you" as you exhale.

Finally, inhale and exhale slowly

another three times without words.

Open your eyes.

This simple practice,

just two minutes,

can be done anywhere.

When you first wake up in the morning.

In your car before you start the engine.

While you are waiting in line,

or walking from one meeting to the next.

Just pause.

Take nine breaths.

And notice:

God is here.

God is with me.

God is present in this moment.

Every moment has meaning.

Every moment is charged with God's presence.

Whether we are checking items off our list

or adding new ones,

whether we are succeeding or struggling,

whether we are rushing or resting,

God is always with us,

always shining through,

always waiting for us to simply notice.

So, as we enter this Advent season,

as we light our candles and sing our songs,

as we prepare our hearts and our homes,

let us remember that God became one of us

precisely so that we could find Him

in the ordinary moments of our busy lives.

Stay awake, my friends.

Not anxiously, but attentively.

Stay awake to the God who is coming,

who is here,

and who waits for us to simply notice.

Stay awake, for you do not know the time the Lord will come.