Fourth Sunday of Advent (A)
And I don’t know what the future is holdin’ in store
I don’t know where I’m goin’, I’m not sure where I’ve been
There’s a spirit that guides me, a light that shines for me
My life is worth the livin’, I don’t need to see the end
Sweet, sweet surrender
Live, live without care
Like a fish in the water
Like a bird in the air
– from the song Sweet Surrender, by John Denver
Surrender.
How does that word make you feel?
For most people, it is not a pleasant or a desirable thing, at least at first glance. It evokes feelings of defeat, failure, disgrace. It may evoke the fear of being defenseless before one’s foes, or something that is dangerous. It may evoke the shame that comes from feeling powerless over compulsions or addictions, bad habits or sins.
On the other hand, surrender can be a positive thing: the dropping of one’s defenses, in trust, in the presence of one’s beloved. The sense of feeling safe, loved, and accepted as one is. Such a surrender is not easy to achieve, though, because any surrender feels risky and generates fear and anxiety. Continue reading “Surrender”