Every December, the world starts rushing as seasonal lights go up, calendars fill up quickly and Christmas playlists spill from department store speakers before the Thanksgiving leftovers have cooled. There is a cultural trend to rush in and rush through the holiday season.
But Advent invites a different rhythm. It invites us not to hurry, but to wonder.
Advent beckons us to wander slowly, thoughtfully, hopefully down the long road toward Bethlehem. And somewhere along that road, if we allow it, wonder begins to rise inside us like a sacred warmth.
Barry Howard
The old Appalachian Christmas carol “I Wonder as I Wander” captures this spirit fittingly. Its haunting melody and simple lyrics invite us into a posture of awe as we contemplate the mystery of Christ stepping into our world. The song itself echoes Advent’s message: as we wander toward Bethlehem, it is the wondering that prepares our hearts and minds to welcome the Christ child, yet again.
More than a century ago, when crowds gathered in Kitty Hawk, N.C., waiting for news of the Wright brothers’ first flight, they lived in a moment thick with anticipation. Before anyone saw an airplane lift off the ground, people gazed at the horizon, holding their breath, wondering if something extraordinary was about to break into the ordinary. That is Advent. It is the pause before the miracle.
Wonder cultivates the fertile soil of our minds, readying us to learn and grow. As Socrates reasoned, “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.”
“Advent isn’t a day trip. It is a progressive journey.”
Advent isn’t a day trip. It is a progressive journey. Think of Advent as the “loading bar” on your computer or phone. It moves slowly, from 6% … to 28% … to 75%. You can’t rush it, and you can’t ignore it. That little bar is doing important behind-the-scenes work — downloading, preparing, aligning things so the device can function as it should.
Advent does the same for the human heart. It prepares us, steadies us and positions us to receive Christ not with fatigue but with awe.
We are not the first ones to travel this path. Scripture is full of wanderers whose journey shapes our own:
The prophets wandered with hope (Isaiah 9:2–7)
Mary wandered toward Bethlehem with courage (Luke 1:38)
Joseph wandered with obedience (Matthew 1:20–24)
The shepherds wandered with expectancy (Luke 2:8–15)
They did not rush. They wandered faithfully, trusting God would help them navigate the journey.
And so do we.
In December 1941, with the world engulfed in war, Winston Churchill stood beside U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt on the White House lawn for a Christmas Eve service. The future felt frightening, the headlines heavy. Yet together they read John 1:5: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
That night, in the shadow of conflict, nations heard a reminder that has anchored believers for centuries: Even in the world’s darkest winters, God’s light shines in the dark places and spaces of life, a message we need to hear resoundingly this year.
Perhaps we must learn to wonder again. Advent prompts us to slow down enough to see grace glowing at the edges of our days, sort of like candlelight in a dark sanctuary, gentle yet unignorable.
“This season is not about racing toward a date on the calendar. It is about traveling with intention and a spirit of inquiry.”
This season is not about racing toward a date on the calendar. It is about traveling with intention and a spirit of inquiry. About noticing God’s presence in the challenges, in the questions, in the silences and in the small mercies. It is about recapturing the holy wonder that first stirred in Bethlehem, a holy curiosity that echoes the humble, searching tone of “I Wonder as I Wander.”
Isaiah invites us to walk this road with hope: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2). Mark calls us to prepare the way (Mark 1:3). Mary teaches us to magnify the Lord (Luke 1:46).
As you wander the road to Bethlehem this year, may wonder rise in you again, wonder that steadies your spirit, softens your pace and opens your heart to the One who is coming.
Don’t rush there. Wander. And wonder.
Because those who wander the road to Bethlehem with wonder do not merely celebrate Christmas — they are ready to welcome the Christ Child when they arrive, and then to follow him from the manger to the Cross and beyond.
Barry Howard is a retired pastor who now serves as a leadership coach and consultant with the Center for Healthy Churches. He and his wife live on Cove Lake in Northeast Alabama.