REJOICE!

December is a month of celebration in all faiths. 

“Rejoice” (from the Latin “Gaudete”) was the theme this weekend for the third week of Advent, called Gaudete Sunday.  Catholics light the 3^rd of 4 Advent candles and prepare to rejoice at the Savior’s much-anticipated birth.  Episcopalians honor the tradition of Lessons and Carols with Old Testament foretelling and New Testament telling of the birth of the Savior, interwoven with carols and anthems calling spirits to rejoice.

As I drove to the evening seasonal service I passed a grand Menorah outside the local temple lit with 8 Menorah candles, reminding me that Jewish families everywhere were celebrating the last night of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. I reflected on the bittersweet… even as Muslims were anticipating the Islamic celebration Milad un Nabi, commemorating the birth of Mohammed, a pipe bomb had damaged a local mosque... and yet, that very day was held an ecumenical gathering to bring together desert dwellers of all faiths to find peaceful ways forward.

Yes, December is a month of celebration in all faiths. But this year, December is also a month of faith in celebration.  For a group of fellow desert 12-Step sojourners in recovery, a miracle has happened among us.  A birth of a baby boy, not named Jesus or Mohammed, but James.  His birth will not be celebrated all over the world, nor was it foretold thousands of years ago, nor has he been proclaimed as a prophet.  Yet this is very much a miracle to us.  For two brave souls set out on a journey together, against all odds, to change their world forever.  And although they were not surrounded by shepherds and wise men, they were supported by a host of loving friends and supporters who marveled at their courage and blessed their commitment.

James was born on the weekend of Gaudete Sunday, and we fellows in recovery celebrated the news with rejoicing of a special sort.  The depth of our joy at this wondrous story can only be understood in the context of the usual stories we hear in our recovery rooms.  We hear stories of pain and we share the hope of a brighter future.  We dry tears and give encouragement.  We acknowledge the lonely valleys and try to point out the potential peaks.  We grieve and we comfort and we heal together.

But hearing the news that a new baby was coming paved the way for a whole new path for our conversations and activities. In two different rooms we gave support to mother and father.  We gathered for a baby shower which was graced with the same inexplicable magic that we experience in our recovery meetings.  We watched the beautiful metamorphosis in both expectant parents, and awaited the day.  And then the birth was announced in emails that flew across the desert, bringing the joy that every new birth brings, but to each of us, bringing a sense of joy and profound “peace that passes all understanding.”

Welcome to our world, James.  You are a lucky boy, born to very special and courageous parents.  Know that you are surrounded with love and support.  May your road ahead be paved with personal riches. We thank you for coming to us, for you have given us the most precious and most important gift for all seasons… the gift of hope.