A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes … and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
German pastor and philosopher (1906-1945) imprisoned and executed for his attempt to overthrow Adolf Hitler.
Sunday afternoon Geoff and I uncharacteristically sat down in front of the TV and caught a facinating documentary on a historical rescue of six Irish/American guys from a British prison in Freemantle (Western Australia). Throughout the story kept reappearing this word ‘resurrection’. It was an awkwardly beautiful phrase, yet after ten years and many letters, and so much waiting these innocent men were freed and taken home – the word fit.
I love the themes of resurrection and redemption and I don’t think we should leave them alone at Christmas.
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned”- Isaiah 9:2
Every Christmas I read the Hobbit. And although there is somewhat of a ‘resurrection’ of the dwarves treasure and history from Smaug, there is the more significant resurrection of Bilbo from his comfortable life.
Neither can be construed as perfect metaphors – I’m not sure they even are metaphors. But there is something to be said for waiting and hoping and allowing peculiar shaped freedom to show it’s face.
