They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.  - Isaiah 40: 31

Advent is a season of waiting and vigil, a time for pondering matters of heaven and earth.  Waiting suggests that now is not the time for talk.  The Incarnation itself is a concept more mysterious than explicable — the Word made flesh, the redemption of matter by spirit.  Candlelight and "Silent Night" can leave a deeper impression than theological statements.

A lack of speech-making marks Matthew's story of Jesus' birth.  At the manger, the humans hardly speak.  Angels do, dreams do.  Mary and Joseph do not.  An exception is the fearful, treacherous Herod: When he speaks to the wise men, he deceives.

In the Christmas story, heavenly images — a Bethlehem star, the angelic chorus — communicate more deeply than human speech.  In Advent, we are invited to gaze up at the sky, the same sky that guided the Magi, and ponder amazing things in our hearts, as did Mary — things beyond words.  With Advent, God forged a new link, a rejuvenating relationship between weary earth and eternal heaven.

Thank you, O God, for the wisdom and renewal we find in silence.

- adapted from 100 Meditations for Advent and Christmas: Selected from the Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide, pg 32