Advent and the Cross

While my friends have been writing about the beautiful anticipation of the birth of Christ during this advent season, I have been writing about stress, books, theology, domestic violence and an unusual Christmas laced with thankfulness in the midst of painful injury.


But today, I move to Advent. Funny, when it was Easter, I focused on rebirth. In the Christmas season, my mind has centered on the cross. Without the cross, the birth would have a different meaning.


My perspective of Christmas changes in tandem with each rotation around the sun. As a child, my perspective centered on the birth of a baby surrounded by animals. I loved animals as a child; still do. But as an adult, I am keenly aware of the responsibility of ownership.


Now my thoughts are of Mary, the mother of God. As a mother, I empathize with her pregnant condition and the joy of childbirth. But I do have one question. How could she eventually stand at the foot of that cross? How could she stand at all, as her firstborn son suffered a torturous death? What did she know? Did she know about the resurrection to come? Well, this is a story for another day.


And for now, we wait. It won’t be long now. No, not long at all…..


A baby kicks inside his mother’s womb,
Inside of her fullness.
Breasts fill with nourishment for the world.
This body breaths shorter, staggered breaths now,
As her lungs are restricted by space.
A cervix is pinched by the fullness,
Fullness that is everywhere.
It won’t be long now,
Our wait will soon be over.



copyright 2011 by Kathy Robbins