I know that it is far from Christmas. I know that I have already posted some post-Christmas thoughts and stories. But Heidi turned me on to this lovely video about Christmas. I don't know yet how to put the video right on my blog - it's not on Youtube. I had to share it.
Here are the words which overlay beautiful/sad pictures of people and scenes at Christmas. Someone (Nora Jones?) sings Silent Night.
Have you ever wondered
what it would be like if
Jesus was living on earth?
How would he want to celebrate his birthday?
Would he want a big dinner?
Have a nice party with family and friends?
Sit around the fireplace drinking
hot chocolate and watching a movie?
Open birthday gifts?
Well maybe. But...
We might sooner find him huddled around
a burning trash barrel with some
homeless friends or putting a warm
blanket around a cold and lonely
nursing home patient
or making the five mile trek with a
scared little boy to get water for his family.
Jesus said, When you have done it
unto the least of these, my brothers,
you have done it unto me.
If we really want to keep
Christ at the center of our Christmas celebrations,
maybe we should spend more time
hanging out where
we are
likely to
find
him.
I am not a Biblical scholar. But Jesus was for social justice. He was for giving to the poor and needy. He insisted that it was our duty to do what we can to help those less fortunate than ourselves. I know it's not Christmastime. But what if we lived like it was Christmas? Even if you are not a believer, don't you think the world would be a better place?
2 comments:
Absolutely!
I was driving to Target with my mom a few days ago and she was telling me about one of her friends.
"She is so nice," she explained. "She's always thinking about other people and finding ways to help them. There's nothing she wouldn't do for someone else. A few weeks ago she was driving down Two Notch and saw a young man standing at the bus stop trying to protect his baby from the pouring rain. She pulled over, invited him in, found out he was heading out to look for a job, and drove him from place to place so that he could fill out applications. Isn't that remarkable? I don't know that I would do that. I would be too afraid."
She turned and looked at me.
"Would you do that?"
I didn't know what to say. I want to believe I would but I can't say for certain I would. Invite them in to protect them from the rain, sure. But then spend the day driving them around to fill out applications, I just don't know. I hope that I would.
The point being made about Christmas is dead on. And I agree, you don't have to be a believer to see that the world would be a better place if we put more time and energy into helping others.
I've long thought it would be a wonderful family tradition to spend Christmas Eve serving others, perhaps at a soup kitchen. When sharing this with my then-teammates the response I received was "Have you been to a soup kitchen? It's a nice idea but, frankly, it would scare your kids so badly that they'd never want to return."
It was silly but I was waiting for the day to come that everyone was old enough to go. It occurs to me, though, that there are a number of other things we could do.
We should meet you guys at Finlay Park to help out on Sundays. The kids could use their charity money to help buy the food, help prepare it, and then deliver it.
Ah, see what your post produced!
Okay, I was doing alright until it mentioned lonely older people in a nursing home-then I just gave up and went ahead and cried. Thanks for posting that, that is my one of my (most) favorite Christmas songs. There is something especially quiet and gentle about that one. It reminds me of a conversation I had with my boss the other day. I was really frustrated with something and probably sounded like a three-year-old when I said that it would be easier all around if people would just simply be nice to each other. Of course, getting frustrated isn't very nice, so when she looked at me and said, "Well, even if they aren't, you can be and that will at least make some difference," it was kinda like, ouch. Well alright then, I'll give it an honest try. I always get caught up in thinking that 'doing something for someone' has to be this huge life-changing event for them; that unless it drastically changes their life for the better, I haven't really done anything for them. This was a good reminder that just letting people know that they are loved is as important as everything else. I think knowing they're loved gives people dignity. Its like the other day when my dad and I were watching "To Kill a Mockingbird," and Mr. Radley comes to cement up the hole in which Boo was leaving gifts for Scout and Jem; even after everything that had been done to him Boo was still capable of kindness, whereas Mr. Radley, who had been the one to put Boo through all of it, yet not been through anything himself except what he did to himself, was so cruel he would take away that one thing in his life, that one chance to show that he loved Scout and Jem, in a way. So, after a long, rambling story I guess my comment is this: thanks for that reminder, I needed to be reminded to be more kind more often.
Thanks, too for your really awesome comment! That is soooo cool that you've been to Ireland! I'll bet Canada was beautiful too. Isn't it funny how laughing at stuff like that Jack Russell terrier does more good than anything else? I laughed when I read that, I could totally picture this little miniature dog eating potatoes out of this old, warped pot. That's neat that the old couple knew your dad; just goes to show how the world is actually smaller than it seems sometimes, that your dad mattered to someone across the ocean like he mattered to you and your mom. I'm so jealous, I've always wanted to be brave enough to go to a different country and just go, right or left? No plans, just wander aimlessly. I totally understand what you mean about falling in love with a country, I've always wondered if it is crazy to feel homesick for a place you've never been. If it is just some recessive gene that shows up generations after your family left. Thanks, yeah, I had a little too much fun finding the music, spent waaayyy too much time on it. Music is so integral to Irish culture, though; haha, so, did you have that 'Guinness-a-day'? Did you get to play the guitar with/for them at the pubs? So the singing was amazing? One day I think I'm just going to take your advice and take myself up on the offer to go. Thing is, if I do, I might never come back! Thanks again for your comment, it made my day!
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