I love Christmas. The tree is up and my lights have been hung for weeks now. I started watching Home Alone once October rolled around. I’ve been drinking peppermint hot chocolate and sitting in front of the AC, pretending it’s not still 88° here. I know… “but what about Thanksgiving!” some will plea. Listen, I love food more than the average person. Snacks is practically my middle name. I married a chef. And let’s not fail to mention that the majority of my tattoos are food related. I will never and could never forget the day we celebrate gluttony and mashed potatoes. I just prefer to stuff my face by the holly jolly glow of Christmas lights. I would truly leave the decorations up year round if I thought they wouldn’t lose their magic and wonder by about month 3.
As we sat in our Sunday evening home church, singing Christmas songs, all felt right in the world. I was belting out the words and really feeling festive until the verse of “O Holy Night” hit me like a two pound bag of potatoes right in the gut.
“Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains He shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.”
I guess I had never really paid attention to what it was saying. I suppose I had always sang it out of habit, rushing to get to the better known chorus. But man, what a timely word for the world we live in these days.
Just a few short weeks ago, a political and socioeconomic crisis caused the mass exodus of somewhere around 5,000 Hondurans that walked right past our house. Women, children and elderly people displaced, and yes, even some men who owned cell phones in the mix. They passed through Guatemala and deeply depended on the generosity of a country whose people are also in dire straits. I watched posts crop up on social media about the notion that this was politically driven. I watched the further exploitation and demonization of poor people… headlines depicting hoards of men, no women or children in site. And these men had cellphones! Life must not be too bad if you can acquire a cellphone!
But on the other end of the spectrum, I watched the real story unfold with my own eyes. Desperate people seeking refuge, and even acquiring some Guatemalans along their journey who also sought help. Men carrying children while allowing the women to board a truck and hitch a ride. While West Virginia celebrated bridge day, I saw beautiful pictures of thrill seekers jumping off the New River Gorge bridge and parachuting to the ground below. At the same time, I was flipping through Guatemalan news articles. People were also jumping off of a bridge here in Guatemala… however, it was children trying to pass through the murky waters of the Mexican border on their journey to refuge. Many of those children were unaware of the depths of the water and were swept away to a watery grave.
It’s confusing to me that some hearts are so hardened that these true stories don’t even affect them. However, if the opinion you have of the gospel of Jesus Christ and how we treat others is influenced by people, by a political agenda, by internet memes, or by anything other than the Bible itself, I beg you to consider that maybe today’s social media Jesus needs new PR.
Please don’t let your crazy Aunt Betty’s hyper patriotism or misdirected fear of what is bad and evil in this world be the bearing on what you call Christianity. I challenge you to look for yourself at who the Jesus of The Bible is- kind, compassionate, forgiving… but also still God- and worthy of our reverence and praise. People (myself included) will always fall miserably short when it comes to searching for an earthly picture of who Jesus was and what He stands for.
I know there’s only so much the US can do to help. That’s why we uprooted ourselves and brought help here. And while you may not be called to do the same, I do believe all of us are called to do SOMETHING… to look upon these types of situations with eyes of compassion and a heart willing to step in and help. Help looks like a lot of things- and as Giving Tuesday approaches us next week, one way you can be effective in helping is by supporting those of us on the frontlines. As we raise our own support, our finances and skills are invested back into the Guatemalan community— helping families to thrive here by empowering them with education, healthcare, and by just loving them where they’re at.
As Kevin McCallister’s mom, Kate, on Home Alone so desperately pleads… “THIS IS CHRISTMAS. THE SEASON OF PERPETUAL HOPE.” I also want to leave you with a final piece of hope…
If the message you’re preaching isn’t GOOD NEWS for every person— every nation, every tribe, every ethnicity, every tongue— then it isn’t the real gospel.
In His name, all oppression shall cease. 💛
You are loved.
Whitney
Thank you, Whitney. Well said. The world needs more compassion, not more hyper-patriotism. There once was a time when our patriotism led America to open her doors to the hungry and oppressed. There’s even a huge statue in NYC harbor testifying to that! Your commentary is a helpful reminder that Jesus Himself closely identifies with the tired, oppressed, thirsty and hungry (Mt 25.31-46). “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Misty and I just returned last night from a 2-week vision trip to Oaxaca, Mexico with Forward Edge International. God may be opening some doors for us there! The needs are so very great there and the poverty is overwhelming (as it is in Zacapa). God bless you and Bryan for the sacrifices you make to serve the Lord in Guatemala. The Lord is crying out for all of His people to pray, give and go. Misty and I are so proud to stand with you and Bryan and others both prayerfully and financially. The Lord bless you for all you do. You give us a beautiful, living picture of the Gospel!