(You can listen to this reflection here. Sunday's gospel reading is here.)
En garde! That’s about all I know of the sport – or is it the art? – of fencing. But it’s what I think of when I read Jesus’ warning to his disciples:
“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap.”
If ever there were an apt warning for the season of Yuletide stress and indulgence, this is it. Don’t be caught unawares… the cards need writing, the cookies need baking, the gifts need buying, not to mention all the normal responsibilities… And yet, here is Jesus: “Do not let your hearts be weighed down by dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life.”
This is an instruction for life, not just for a Wednesday in November. It invites us to live in a state of preparedness such as we might develop during times of crisis, but without the terror. How might we cultivate a state of "en garde-ed-ness" without kicking up those nasty, free-radical stress chemicals? How can we be at peace, serene, and also alert?
Maybe the stylized movements of fencing have something to teach us. “En garde” is the instruction given when two players face off; it begins the match (bout? I’ve already spent more time on fencing terms than I intended.) The phrase invites the combatants to assume a defensive posture, yet one that distributes their balance in such a way that they can thrust and parry, light on their feet.
As followers of Christ, we are to be alert and on our guard against the temptations sent our way by the enemy and the trials that test our faith. Yet we are to hold that defense lightly, remembering that it is Christ who fights for us, with us. Our posture of readiness allows us to yield to God’s power coming through us.
Balance implies an equilibrium between rest and movement, thought and action, receiving and giving. What if we made it our spiritual goal this Advent to find this balance, to be on guard but without fear, ready at all times to fight for justice and faithfulness with love and mercy, wielding the “epee d’Esprit,” the sword of the Spirit, in the name of peace?
When do you feel most relaxed? Think about how you might cultivate that feeling more of the time, even during stress. How better to prepare for the advent of the Prince of Peace.
If you’re stressed out today, try it now. En garde!
Now relax and stand in balance on both feet.
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