Advent - An Icelandic Tale

 

And as if born of all this whiteness, with the craters' black rings and solitary troll-like lava pillars rising here and there, an air of solemnity marked this Sunday in this settlement near the mountains, something that tugged at the heart. An immeasurable, pure holiness surrounded the placid Sabbath smoke that rose undisturbed from the scattered, low farmhouses that nearly disappeared beneath the snow, an incomprehensible and unimaginably promising stillness. Advent. Advent!
Yes...Benedikt mouthed the word gingerly, that big, quiet, wonderfully alien yet at the same time homely word, perhaps for Benedikt the most deeply homely word of all. Admittedly, he didn't know exactly what it meant, yet there was expectation in it, anticipation, preparation - that much he understood. As the years went by, that one word had come to encompass practically his entire life. For what was his life, what was man's life on earth, if not an imperfect service, sustained by expectation, anticipation, preparation?

- Advent, by Gunnar Gunnarsson

This book. It caught my eye as a new release, as it was just published in a new English translation. First published in 1936 by the Icelandic writer, Gunnar Gunnarsson, it is a short novella, with a warm and cosy tone from the very first page. You could read it as a quiet adventure story, and you can also feel nourished by the deeper links to the season of Advent and its meaning. There are so many parallels and hints to Christ. The trio of selfless travelers, the 7 day adventure, the good shepherd, Christmas, the period of waiting, saving lost sheep in the deep cold, sacrifice of the shepherd to search for the one sheep, journey through storms, relying on God. I could go on, but it's full of such gestures. It is so beautifully written, it drew me in right away. It's easy to read but rich with atmosphere in the midst of the Icelandic landscape of cold and snow.

When I read the first two pages of the book, I immediately went online to order more copies as gifts. It's too lovely not to share. It is so slim, you could read it in one sitting. And it really could be enjoyed by anyone. It's the kind of book you'd want to read every year, as part of the Advent season, and it will reach into you differently with each read.

The story is simple - a man (Benedikt) has a tradition in Advent of venturing out into the deep winter cold with his trusty dog and sheep as companions to find lost sheep out in the wilderness and bring them home so they don't freeze to death. He feels responsible for these sheep. It's at his own peril and sacrifice, as he comes to many challenges along the way.

It's an adventure at the surface yet it reaches into the foundations of trust we can place in God. It's subtle, not forcing these reminders but showing them along the way. It's simply part of Benedikt and his beliefs. It offers so much if you want to venture deeper and notice all the references to Christ in such a beautiful story.