In our culture, slowing down is seldom seen as a virtue, as something to be desired. In fact, just the opposite. We are often challenged to hurry up, move faster, or multi-task to do more in less time. We drive cars to get wherever we are going, often in excess of the posted speed limit. By using cars for travel, we also isolate and insulate ourselves from others on a similar journey. When we have to wait in line at the store, we nervously tap our feet. When we make a phone call and are put on hold, we tap our fingers or pen impatiently. We send texts with acronyms instead of words because it is faster than making a phone call or personal visit. We cram our calendars full of appointments, meetings and activities to squeeze the most out of every day. Even then we can sometimes fall into bed at night completely exhausted yet feeling like we accomplished nothing.

This is perhaps most true during this time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. During these weeks, we add even more to our already packed schedules: shopping, wrapping, decorating, baking, partying, and holiday concerts. The frantic pace is quite a contrast to what is happening in nature and in our faith: nature is resting and restoring itself; our Christian faith invites us into Advent, a time for prayer, reflection and preparing our hearts for the two-fold coming of Christ.

The contrast between what this season often is and what it should be reminds me of a documentary titled “Godspeed” that I stumbled across during COVID. The film suggests that in order to grow closer to God, we need to learn how to travel through our life at Godspeed.

When Jesus lived and ministered in Israel, he walked wherever he went. There are many stories in the Scriptures of his journeys. As you read many of the stories, you may notice Jesus is not just walking, not just on a mission to get from here to there. He is also listening, teaching or healing along the way. He was walking at Godspeed, and so was able to be present to those he journeyed with and those he met along the way. When Jesus needed to slow down even more, he went off to the desert or some other isolated place to pray and “just be” with God.

I invite you to think about how you might move through Advent at Godspeed. Could you focus less on buying and wrapping presents and focus on just being present – to God, to yourself, to others? If you could take the time to stop and meet a stranger, to listen to their story, what might you learn about God? Could you offer the gift of patience to a store clerk during a stressful time for them? Could you offer your presence to someone grieving, or someone coping with illness or job loss? If you could deliberately pause a few times during the day and gave God a chance to catch up, how could those small changes create opportunities for you to be present to God and to invite God to move though Advent with you?

Perhaps learning to move though Advent at Godspeed might be the gift that keeps giving, to you and to others, even into the new year.

– Marge Lindell

P.S. If you are interested, the 35 minute film can be found here.