Broken Glass & Advent...

The Glass is Already Broken, by Ken Willers

Once Upon a Time,

            ...a man went to get himself a glass of water and as he picked up the glass, the glass said, "Stop, look at me. Don't you see I am already broken?"

            "What?" the man said, "You are in perfect condition."

            "Regardless," answered back the glass, "I will be of no use to you--I am already broken."

            'Nonsense,' the man thought and he filled up the glass with water and said, "See, you hold the water wonderfully -- not one drop leaks out."

            "Take a better look," said the glass, "and you will see I am already broken."

            Holding the glass to the light the man said, "Ridiculous, see how the light shines through your glass and water--it sparkles and shines. You're beautiful and your glass possesses no cracks."

            "But, don't you see, sir," repeated the glass, "I am already broken."

            "No, you're not," barked the man and he drank the water from the glass.

            "See? Perfect. You are perfect." and he placed the glass carefully back on the shelf. Before he left the room, he took one more look at the glass and asked it, "Why do you keep saying you're broken when you're not?"

            "How else will you see me?" responded the glass.

            "Excuse me?" said the man, "I don't understand."

            "How many times have you picked me up and drank from me?" asked the glass.

            "Hundreds of times." answered the man.

            "Exactly!" was the glass' sharp reply. "And you never once saw my beauty. But this time, because you were afraid I was broken, you took time to look at me and you saw how precious I really am. If that's what it takes to get your attention, then remember, this glass is already broken."

Stay Awake!

The Son of Man is coming at a time you don’t expect.

So, live now as if that day were already here!

If we could ‘see’ the ‘glass’ as already broken, then every moment with it is precious.

Stay Awake!

The Son of Man is coming at a time you don’t expect.

So, live now as if that day were already here!

Facing the possibility of a terminal illness, a friend once said to me, “All my life I’ve been planning for a future—waiting for a moment that may never happen now. Ken, I pray, as ironic as it seems here, that God will give me the strength to fully live in the present with whatever the results may be. I want live in a way that allows me to see the people I love—and tell them that I love them.”

What happens when we look at life as though it is already over? Our priorities change, our heart opens, our mind begins to clear of the fog of old holdings and pretendings. We watch all life in transit and what matters becomes instantly apparent: the transmission of life, the letting go of a future that blinds the present moment and the awareness that every experience, even one of loss, becomes another opportunity for awakening. Each moment becomes a whole lifetime, a universe unto itself.

Stay Awake!

The Son of Man is coming at a time you don’t expect.

So, live now as if that day were already here!

If our only spiritual practice were to live as though we were already ‘dead,’ that our loved ones, our children, our spouses, our partners, our friends--were already gone—how precious they would become. Relating to all we meet, to all we do, as though it were our final moments in the world, what time would there be for old games, or falsehoods or pretense? If we lived our life as though we were already dead, as though our loved ones were already gone, how much time would there be for selfish pursuits and missed opportunities to be made up?

Stay Awake!

The Son of Man is coming at a time you don’t expect.

So, live now as if that day were already here!

Ever since Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, God’s people have waited and longed for his return in glory for the day of judgment and for the day of salvation.

During Advent, then we remind ourselves as a Church, that we live in hope as if that Day of the Lord’s return were already here.

Our hope in the Day of the Lord, our reflection of John Baptist and our insights into Mary, can make our present lives and responsibilities as Christians all the more urgent and can give meaning to all we do.

We must start with our own lives and live as if the Day were already here. We must work for unity within our families, our communities and with our lived ones. We do what we can to end injustice in our own little worlds by transforming the swords of hatred into the plowshares of compassion. We cannot be idle or passive in our response to life—because there is no time.

Live!

Your glass is already broken.

Be Vigilant— Stay Awake!

The Son of Man is coming at a time you don’t expect.

So, live now as if that day were already here!