It appears that the commercial version of advent has started. The Christmas decorations are up in the malls. The daughter is annoying her best friend by singing Christmas songs. One of the cats, who have been banned from inside while the house is being flossied so it can be sold, snuck in and wants attention.

So I go looking, driven my our Orthodox Sister Mychael, who posted this on the Borg:

Last time for this type of post. As I prepare myself for the coming Lenten season I once again am making a concerted effort to pull away from the vitriolic nature of recent FB posts. I’m hoping as the milieu of the army improves Scott may be able to start blogging again. If you need a way to reach him until then please let me know.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy on us

Mychael is wise. A lot of the teaching here has been subverted. The idea of worshiping and loving and being thoughtful and fasting gets turned into “change the world this Advent”.

Since its beginning, Advent Conspiracy invited every co-conspirator to allocate a portion of resources to address the global water crisis. There may be no better time of year to really see the stark contrast between the extravagance of culture and the simplicity of water. More than a billion of our global neighbors lack access to clean water and sanitation, and we believe Christmas can change this. Because of people like you who have entered into the conspiracy, millions of dollars have been given to provide clean water solutions around the world.

I am not sure about this. I do not keep times and seasons as much as others. Like the daughters friend, the commercial parts of Christmas make me itch. Even without gifts, travelling makes it a very expensive time of the year for us.

And I wonder about the motivations of this teaching.

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbour?

(James 3:13-4:12 ESV)

There are more important things locally. The damage from a big earthquake is extensive: some of the photos that have come out from the upper South Island. The local military is being reinforced by an US naval vessel to get people in and out as most of the roads are impassable.

It is not time for virtue signals. It is time for shovels. The area affected survives by farming and the tourist trade: however the damage is extensive, as we have had a storm on unstable slops which, together with aftershocks, has led to slips — as in hills sliding

In NZ, this advent is about spending more. So we can get power and roads working. It is helping our neighbours. It may mean that there are more people in my local town, for we are far enough away not to have been affected. It is not about the official charities.

And the season of that fast does not start, if I read the liturgical calendar correctly, until the end of this month, despite the emails and tinsel and elves I see when I leave for work.