How Advent is Like Hawaiian Wisdom
Step Toward the Light Until Heaven Shines Forth
Every step we take in this world is a step toward either darkness or light. Every harsh word, every mean act, every vengeful thought is a part of the works of darkness. Every act of forgiveness, every small act of charity, every temptation resisted is a piece of the armor of light. — Fleming Rutledge
One of my favorite books about Advent is a collection of sermons by Fleming Rutledge, one of the first women ordained to the Episcopal priesthood. In her sermons, Rutledge explores the idea that Advent is far, far more than just the four weeks leading up to Christmas, that there is a very real sense that the entire life of the Christian faith is, in fact, a perpetual advent. We are always on a pilgrimage, always waiting for the coming of the one who will save and redeem us. Advent is truly a season of waiting, a season of “in the meantime.”
So what do we do, “in the meantime”? If you are familiar with the spirituality of Catholic, Episcopal, or other liturgical churches, you already have a sense of Advent spirituality: we watch. We wait. We bide our time. We ponder, like Mary, what is to come. We hope (especially those of us whose lives are a mess or marked by suffering). And there’s the unmistakable contemplative dimension as well: Advent is a great time to revive or deepen your centering prayer practice (in between all the shopping and parties and lessons and carols services, that is).
But there’s another gift of Advent: the invitation to be Christ, which is to say, to be an agent for the light, for love… for heaven.
Several Episcopal Churches in Hawaii invited me to bring a contemplative perspective to their Advent journeys this year; and given their location, it’s fair to say that I’m probably getting more than I’m giving here. One of the many blessings I’ve received has been the opportunity to meet a traditional Hawaiian Taro farmer, who is steeped in the spirituality of her people. When my wife and I visited her small farm, she taught us this proverb: O ka pono le hana ‘ia a iho mai na lani which means in English, “Continue to do good until the heavens come down to you.”
It’s a wonderful proverb for Advent: do good, take a step toward the light, until you give birth to the embodiment of heaven, until the Christ appears in your light, shining light and bringing you heaven. Fleming Rutledge would no doubt love the Hawaiian wisdom here, and would remind us that this is not just about the season of Advent: do good always, step always toward the light — and don’t stop, ever, until heaven shines forth in you.
Featured image: eruption of Kilauea, Hawaii, December 6, 2025.
Quotation source: Fleming Rutledge, Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ (p. 272). (Function). Kindle Edition.