Advent Day 7: Advent Isn’t A Guilt Trip But It Is A Journey Into Compassion
*Pictured above: Kahal, a homeless man I met this past Spring. He’s worked a number of jobs—in kitchens, landscaping, Uber driver… but has recently fallen on hard times. He doesn’t have an address right now, or a computer, and this makes applying for jobs a challenge. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Kahal. He was pleasant, intelligent, and kind. He was quick to smile and laugh.
Those who cannot see Christ in the poor are atheists indeed. —Dorothy Day
Advent, the season of anticipating and waiting and reflecting on the arrival of Christ, is a journey that leads us into compassion. We can’t think about Christ’s coming without remembering the humble, low, and socially unacceptable truths of this story…
—a young unmarried minority girl who is pregnant
—no friends or family to call on for help, no place to go for shelter
—needing to squat where it was allowed—in the animal barn of the local inn
How would this story sound if it had played out in 21st century America?
Perhaps Jesús would have been born in the early morning hours at a downtown homeless shelter.
At the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth, he spoke of the final judgment and those who would be… Read More