Dense

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I’ve found myself reflecting on the word dense this week; not least because I was making Christmas fudge (the easy way – with sweetened condensed milk). Density denotes closely compacted substance, something that has been intensified, concentrated, made heavy, complex.

Dense is a great word for this time of year: in the good, the bad, and the neutral, there is a density we find ourselves in.

Ecclesiastically, we have an intensified number of worship opportunities. Socially, there are abundant invitations to share some good cheer. Liturgically, we are delving deep into complex foundational narratives, and at an increasingly accelerating pace.

All this over a season of days that used to last weeks. Over the past few hundred years we have condensed Christmas – yet do our best to maintain the richness and fullness of traditions and experiences.
(Let’s not ignore that this year, the first (mostly) un-restricted Christmas since COVID-19 hit, many folks are trying to add some ‘extra’ into the season, seeking to make up some ‘special’ for the past few years.)

Emotionally, at Christmas, we face a density of both heavy and hearty memories coinciding with present day efforts and experiences. These temporally concentrated emotions can be just like the fudge’s condensed milk; simultaneously thick and viscous, yet sweet and enjoyable. The very traditions that bring us joy remind us of struggle and loss.

Our emotions are stacked up in our hearts like the presents under the tree: they intrigue us, yet we don’t know what we will be opening. They ought not be ignored, even if they aren’t quite what we expect.

No wonder it’s an overwhelming time of year!

Yet: we are not alone. From the first Christmas, it has been a heavy reality, a time of mixed joy and sorrow, of intense density. Perhaps part of our Christmas journey is not to ignore that reality, but instead to acknowledge and embrace it.

For it is a complex time, a time of journeying through challenge, yet ultimately of great joy for all to hear and receive.

So as we journey through this last week of Advent, let’s be honest with ourselves about the density of our own situations, accept that some slower days may not be a bad thing, and be gentle with ourselves as we embrace all that the season is offering us. For this time too is a gift, stacked with emotions, waiting to be received.