Advent
I seem to be constantly running at the moment somehow, with little time to catch my breath. It is December; the rough beast of Southern Hemisphere Christmas shambles toward Bethlehem, with stress, gift-buying and end of year panic in its wake. I ended up going to three separate churches this Sunday: Anglican, Baptist alt-worship, and Catholic (ecumenical). It's 1am and I still haven't quite managed to finish the day.
The Urban Seed Advent in Art calendar inspires me. I'm still not used to the whole Advent thing; it's not something we used to do formally in the churches I've known previously. But it does provide a slightly more peaceful counterpoint to the rush and hassle of the season.
It frustrates me that I think in pictures yet I don't draw. An image has been haunting me for a while now: manga space Christmas. Whenever I see a 'stable and manger' painting I think not of animals but a grimy space garage, full of hulking machines. Mary wears a blue NASA jumpsuit. Joseph has a wrench for an arm. The Wise Men are aliens, their gifts a mystery of tangled wires.
In the baptism scene Jesus rises from a hydroponic pond, a ventilation duct fan turning slowly behind. John is startled by the arc of neon plasma in a light fitting overhead.
Good Friday is an explosion ripped through deck plating, a white hiss of oxygen dispersing into space. He lies broken on a gunship's prow. Yet it is the cyborg centurion who has flipped back his own helmet plate and kneels in surrender.
In the garden pod, a wrecked sleep capsule holds no body inside. Mary II turns, attention captured by the figure entering frame lower right with a living branch for a staff, whose face we cannot see.
December 3rd, 2007 - 02:15
you need some nature, Nate
December 3rd, 2007 - 19:47
Advent, advent, one light is burnt. First one, then two, then three, then four, then Christchild’s standing at the door.
December 4th, 2007 - 09:54
I love the Advent candles. It’s new to me.
December 10th, 2007 - 04:52
2nd Advent 2007………..I see a twinkle in your eye, so this shall be my Christmas star……………[M. Leunig: Christmas]
December 10th, 2007 - 15:03
Yay Leunig.
December 11th, 2007 - 21:30
Woke up 3.30 and saw a shooting star tonight, a real good one. Did not let it slip away, but caught it and put it in my pocket……. http://www.mp3lyrics.org/b/bob-dylan/shooting-star/
December 12th, 2007 - 01:03
Talk about synchronicity or old fashioned confirmation! What did I say 4 hours ago? Sermon on the mount? This morning Amplified opens quasi automatically {i.e. by itself, without effort on my part} to page 4 and 5, Matthew 4 and 5: Sermon on the mount………………..Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous [that is, in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness {uprightness and right standing with God}, for they shall be completely satisfied!……….yeah, man does live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, take it from me, yours Saint Robert {you don’t need no channelled rubbish}
December 12th, 2007 - 01:52
Oh, no! I think I have to apologize already again. When I’m high I do get carried away. You may delete the channelled rubbish. Ouch!!
December 12th, 2007 - 02:51
This is what I should stick to: http://www.curlyflat.net/cartoons/nocturnal.gif
December 12th, 2007 - 10:00
Excellent cartoon. :) And a great Dylan album.
Shooting stars and Beatitudes. I wonder what that signifies for this Advent?
December 12th, 2007 - 10:17
Me too.
December 12th, 2007 - 11:04
How about: Falling star=making a wish=prayer……………………Since I put it in my pocket, I still have it here and offer you half. I’ve made my wish, you make yours.
December 20th, 2007 - 06:07
Whoa. Great sf imagery!
February 5th, 2008 - 15:35
I was informed over Advent from my amigo Lira . This is keen info and also very precise .