I grew up in the hills of East Tennessee. At home, it was not uncommon to hear stories of autumn and angels almost in the same breath. After all, there were the glorious trees wearing their fall colors while people in the town began to think about decorating. And, being not as “high city” as some, folks were pretty comfortable in their sacred and secular thinking.

It was also not uncommon to see the figure of an angel outlined in Christmas lights just waiting for the day after Thanksgiving. Even then, one holiday meant the next one was right around the corner. There was a simplicity about that feeling, or so I thought.

Today, living in a much larger metropolitan area, the approach of the Christmas season affects me differently. I do not sense that feeling of being comfortable. Perhaps that’s because I’m much older. Perhaps it is also the “talk.” The conversation hovers around sales, consumers, the job market, the stock market, and the newest products-on-the-market. There is stress and extra stress during the holidays. The economic downturn and the few prospects for peace, anywhere, are grim reminders of the reality of life. Christmas is not the fantasy of the marketing world and the false pleasures that come with short-lived material goods.

Perhaps this points us toward looking at the spiritual world, our spiritual conversations and expectations. Is it possible that we can have Christmas in our hearts another way? Is it possible that we can seek God first, seek the meaning of the Christ, first? Is it possible that we can just trust that the Holy Spirit will help to keep us attentive and prepared for the gifts that were ours from the very beginning? If this is so, how are we going to know when to really celebrate?

For me, the season of Advent begins that journey. Advent is a time of expectation, of waiting and preparation for Christmas. Advent is celebrated in many churches, some more so than others. It is a season where churches wear the colors of purple or deep blue. It is a heavy meditation and intensely spiritual season with purple or deep blue cloth, purple or deep blue candles, and purple/deep blue bows on Advent wreaths. It reminds us that we are waiting, waiting, waiting for those angels to give us the good news of the birth of Jesus Christ.

And when I think of home, Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas, I think of angels that appear, and disappear, in our lives. These are either “messengers,” “guardian/attendant spirits,” or “superior beings in power and intelligence.”

I have heard many angel stories. I have had many conversations with people that have experienced the presence of angels and testify to their work. Some “angels” exist in human form, others do not. Recognizing an angel doesn’t mean that the person saw a white being with wings. But, the stories do indicate that folks sensed that special spiritual/holy presence and recognized it by the peace and the special gifts-of-love-and-healing that came with it.

Angels bring peace. Peace can come from recognizing the intervention of God and God’s messengers and work in our lives. Peace can come from paying attention to those whom we overlook or ignore or with whom we are uncomfortable. Peace takes work.

And real peace comes from making the effort to put God’s work first, not last on our everyday list and not just on our Christmas list. Real peace, real joy, real love has to do with focusing on and celebrating the love-gift of Christ: the ultimate messenger of God’s love for us. With Christ, we are indeed “at home” for Christmas. The “lights” are courtesy of the heavenly host.

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