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Prayer Tip Creating space for Advent
Kristina Cooper reflects
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I wouldn't say that I watch that much television but I obviously watch more than I think. I became aware of this a couple of years ago when I felt prompted to remove my television from the sitting room and give up TV for Advent. It came about because I wanted to stop the teenagers on the estate who come to visit me from automatically turning on the TV whenever they came into the house as I found this stopped meaningful conversion. Rather than have any arguments I decided that the simplest thing to do was simply to remove the TV from the room and tell them that I didn't watch TV in the run up to Christmas. The boys thought this was really weird. "When do you enjoy a meal more, when you are hungry or when you are full?" I asked. "When you are hungry", answered one of the boys and I could see, even if he wasn't about to do it himself, he had understood the concept. It was all very well doing it for them, but it meant that I now didn't have the TV too. It revealed all kinds of slots of time that I would usually fill in with TV noise - that 15 minutes while I was eating my breakfast; that late night American crime show, that Saturday afternoon movie. My new routine was like being on a spiritual and emotional detox. I realised how I used TV to keep myself entertained and adrenalised, keeping at bay any boredom or loneliness that ever threatened to rear its head when I had nothing to do. I felt a bit like an alcoholic who discovers what life is like sober. Duller maybe but more real. And I had so much more time for prayer, reading the bible, writing letters, all the things I always promise myself I will do more of, but never seem to have the time, because I am so busy. That year was the best Advent I had ever had and
since then I now do it regularly and have extended the practice for
Lent too. I have found it so helpful spiritually. I have even come to
look forward to this special desert time. The physical change in the
room also is a powerful witness to others. I remember the second year
I did it, when the teenagers came in and saw the TV gone, one said mournfully,
"Oh no… it's that Advent thing again. No more TV until after
Christmas!"
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