Hanging Out the Laundry

I know I am dating myself when I remember all the words to a song from the eighties, “Dirty Laundry, which is basically about the misuse of media splashing and covering us all with bad news. I find contrary to this the beauty, and yes, I mean beauty of clean laundry hanging out to dry. And I know I am not the only one, every time I am with a large group of tourists visiting our sweet Piegaro at least one will mention how great it is to see the laundry hanging out. It often spurs quite a bit of conversation and admiration.

In contradiction to the song “dirty laundry” I find the clean washed clothes hanging on the line to be a most wonderful metaphor for the best part of life, the freshness that follows cleansing. As I write this entry it is the second week of the season of Advent, with the scripture reading being about John the Baptist being the voice in the wilderness calling out to repentance. He is described so roughly, dressed in his camel’s hair togs, but he’s talking and offering us all a chance to “go back” to God. It was great to hear in church this week that the Italian word for repentance, which sounds nowhere close to English, with the suffix being con- instead of re- meant the same thing, going back…into the love of God, the grace, the forgiveness, to be made clean.

We are fresh laundry, flapping in the breeze, inspiring others to remark when we live into our baptism. We boldly put ourselves out with grace, knowing we, unlike dirty laundry, are a beautiful thing. In psychology classes of my college years they would often tell us that to live life well and healthy it should be lived openly and authentically, as if all could see your every action , a bit like laundry hanging out. There is acknowledgement we are not perfect (like that darn sock with the dirt stains), but that we are basically o.k., we can be ourselves and out there. The more we live with confidence and authentically in the will of God, loving our neighbor, the more we can feel free as laundry in the breeze.

There is a peace that comes with the freshness of repentance, remembrance and renewal of baptism that is a gift to sense in this season before Christmas. And just as the brightly colored gifts under the Christmas tree, so the brightly colored clothes and linens on the line bring a sense of wonder and joy to my heart when I see it. And it was even more joyous for me to hear others squeal with delight as I want to each day when they see this homey reminder of all things clean and fresh.

What reminds you of the simple joys of God’s love? In the season of Advent, or days leading up to Christmas, do you find fulfillment in hearing all the stories leading to, entwined in the story of the stable and Holy Family? What inspires you to newness in faith; in Christ, God and Spirit?