The Smoke

One of the most recognizable symbols of the Advent Season is the Advent Wreath.  The Advent Wreath is basically five candles standing on a green wreath that is laying on a table.  Four of the candles make a circle above the round wreath while the fifth candle which is more dominant stands in the middle.  Each Sunday one of the four candles is lit and then on Christmas Eve the final fifth candle stands burning with the others marking the end of the season and the coming of Christmas.    

It is a simple creation which brings both fire and smoke into the room and into the season.  The fire is very evident, but the smoke is never really seen by those who tend to the wreath or who worship in the sanctuary.  We forget sometimes that God appears in the smoke and fire.  He did on Mt. Sinai and on Pentecost. Experiencing the fire is easy enough, but the smoke requires stillness and waiting.  One moment the smoke is here and there and then it is nowhere to be seen, but the smoke still lingers in the room even though it is no longer seen or smelled.  

It is like this with symbols.  They are pointers.  They cause us to see for a moment what is always present with us even though no longer visible.  Even as we regard the sanctuary space as holy space, once we leave it is no longer visible to our eyes, but the memory of its presence points us toward the reality that everything around is holy.  God is not limited to the smoke and fire of the candle, but is always present in the invisible realm through which we constantly walk.  Always God is with us even in the moments of not being seen.