December 11th Advent Reflection

Psalm 146:9

The Lord watches over the strangers, he upholds the orphans and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

Psalm 146 is a long list of all the ways in which God helps the weak and powerless, rather than royal princes and other, stronger mortals.  God seems to have a preference for the underdog!  This may be why Jesus was “born in a barn.”  After all, if he’d been born in a palace or mansion, it's doubtful that the doors would have been opened to the shepherds; probably not to you or me either.  In Jesus’ time, widows and orphans were the lowest on the social scale.  Who would be on that list today?  Maybe refugees, foster kids, the homeless, the unemployed.  The list is long.  During this holiday season, we can be Christ’s hands, feet and voice by blessing others as we have been blessed already.   

Holy One, in this season of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love, grant that we can give up judgmental ways towards others, and rather begin to reach out in Christian love and sympathy to those in need of a smile, and handshake, and kind word.  Amen.                       

ME