December 28, 2015
The instinct to acknowledge that the joy of
Christmas doesn't come easily to many is a good one. Many churches have
"Blue Christmas" services earlier in December. But with
patience, the liturgical calendar will tell the whole story. Joy, after
all, is not the absence of pain or suffering but the presence and companionship
of God.
Holy Innocents...they are all around me...all
around the world. They are those who have no room in my society, unwanted
and unseen, lest my joy become too complicated.
Refugees. They are the image of Holy Innocents for me this year. My
mind’s eye sees the images from months ago…frightened, peace-seeking, thousands
with no ground beneath their feet...no safe place...no welcome.
What, in my little, safe, comfortable corner of the
world, might I offer on this feast day of remembering? Perhaps, it is to
remember well beyond this feast day...to remain attentive to small
opportunities to offer safety and comfort...to holy innocents whose life
in the flesh meets mine. That is the
presence I must see to make my joy real.
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