Dear Friends,
The faucet has been dripping for a few weeks now. The frequency between droplets is starting to quicken. The dripping is annoying. No matter how hard I tug at the handle, the water persists. I tried MacGyvering a solution but that didn’t work very well. I resolved to make today the day to fix the darn thing. I was going to make a quick visit to The Home Depot to pick up the requisite washers and then hope that the installation would go smoothly. I have learned from past DIY debacles to leave enough time in the day to call a real plumber if the whole thing falls apart. And then I remembered… it’s Black Friday.
The traffic will be horrible, the parking lot will be full, the store will be crammed and the line-ups at the cash registers will be long. Black Friday is touted to be the busiest shopping day of the year, both in person and online. It is estimated that 36% of Americans will make a purchase today and 71% of them will make at least one purchase online. Last year, 76.2 million consumers made in-store purchases while almost 91million made online purchases. They say that today is when most retailers’ bottom-line shifts from red ink to black ink, from deficit to profit. Lest we think this is a phenomenon found only south of the border, we know it is made manifest in countries all over the world, including in Canada.
It’s not just the inconveniences like long lines and elusive parking spots that I find annoying. It’s mostly what happens to me. You see, I know full well that if I go to The Home Depot in search of a washer or two, I will be more influenced by the signs announcing 50% and 75% off all sorts of items. I know that I will leave the store with arms full of stuff I just won’t need, but somehow in the moment I can’t live without. I am a sucker for tools and gadgets. To make matters worse, Black Friday is only the beginning of the shopping season as we wend our way to Christmas.
If you are looking for a moment of peace in the hustle of the season, if you are looking for some space to contemplate the reason for the season, if you are tired of trying to MacGyver the annoying drips in your life and want some time to prepare for what you need – the Incarnation of God’s love within you – why not consider joining another line on Tuesdays in the season of Advent? On Nov. 26, almost 250 people joined our online first gathering of the bishops’ Advent series, Advent for Everyone. The sessions run from 7:30 to 8:30 p m. Our bishops share reflections, breakout rooms provide time for all of us to contemplate, and prayer invites us to be still. This week, Bishop Kevin will lead the evening. All are welcome. You can register here.
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Andrew Asbil
Bishop of Toronto
PS, the tap will need to wait until next week.
