Contemplative Christmas

Friday, December 27

The Second Day

Reading:

“God…separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome…the second day.” [1]

Reflection:

In the Christmas song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, the gift of the second day is two turtle doves, which are traditional symbols of love, peace, and sacrifice.

One of the mysteries of life on earth is the way seemingly everything is divided into two parts – the first day of creation divided light from the dark; the second day separated the sky from the waters; the third day divided the waters from the dry land, and so on until finally dividing humankind into male and female. In the process of creation, the One appears to become Two. The various manifestations of twoness, however, cannot exist without each other so we know, in their essence and in spite of appearances, they are still One. The two sides of every reality exist in a complementary tension, and it is that tension – the interaction between the sides – that animates earthly life. With no tension, there is no movement and no life. A pendulum must swing both ways to perform as it was designed.

            As such, the second day of Christmas reminds us of the dual nature of creation. It is easy and natural for us to label one part of something good and the other bad, but that does not honor the fact that both are part of the same reality. Our challenge in seeking Oneness with God and others is to not see things in opposition to each other but to understand how their complementary energies can be integrated to work toward a common purpose – harnessing the energy in the inherent tension between the two to lead us back to Oneness.

Closing Meditation:

Reflect on situations where you find yourself in apparent opposition to another. How can you harness the tension to lead to useful outcomes?

Journal the thoughts and feelings that arise.

This daily series, Contemplative Christmas, is replacing my weekly Life Notes until January 6, 2025, when my weekly blog will resume. The thoughts expressed here are mine. To engage with me: ghildenbrand@outlook.com.

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[1] Genesis 1:7-8