Hard Readings and the ChristKindlMarkt

Although I've been away most of Advent so far, and absent from the Sunday morning discussions, I've kept up on my own with the readings for the season in the book "Love Came Down: Anglican Readings for Advent and Christmas" (Christopher L. Webber) that Fr. Daniel has selected for us to read this season.

It's not been easy reading in a season normally given over today in this country to parties and preparations despite the season's penitential predecessors -- the subject of the first week was "death", the next... hell? A lot to think about, and I can only be glad I've not been in the American Christmas shopping scene so far, to confuse the issues.

Not that it's all been remote in my travels. Upon request from family I visited the famous Vienna ChristKindlMarkt (Christ Child Market), held in the shadow of one of the larger churches. The scene is nothing if but joy, for all the commercialism in the booths, and the popularity of the Glühwein (traditional mulled wine) and the Weihnachtspunsch (traditional Christmas punch) is quite understandable, especially once one has tried these on a cold, wet winter's day.

The commercialism therein? No worse than in America. But at least créche scenes are not verboten, and in that I think they may have the advantage -- they are permitted to think out loud and publicly about "the reason for the season."