Tusculum Young Adult Community

   Sunday Morning we watched a video by The Work Of The People (www.theworkofthepeople.com) called “Give Life.”  You can watch it here (http://www.theworkofthepeople.com/index.php?ct=store.details&pid=V00133)  I hear people say things like “the reason for the season” and put “Christ back into Christmas.”  I always wonder to myself what point in their lives was Christ not in Christmas or I guess when was Christ ever about himself?  I understand that we certainly have used this time trying to figure out how we are going to buy/do Christmas this year when we should be celebrating the Incarnation .  I agree that this time should be spent reflecting on the birth of Jesus and the impact it had and still does today.  The other day I went to a gathering of people exploring the subversiveness of Christmas.  Many of them expressed this idea that in the lectionary(http://www.disciples.org/Resources/Lectionary/WhatIsTheLectionary/tabid/232/Default.aspx) that Advent spends a lot more time speaking of Christ’s return than it does his birth.  (Here is little more about why that is important http://www.catholic.org/clife/advent/advent.php?id=6)  This Christmas season has certainly been different for me.  I have spent a lot more time thinking of what Christ would have me do to celebrate his coming into the world.  Would he want me to teach about putting Christ back into Christmas or teach others how to see Christ in the midst of all the crap we pile on ourselves during this time.  This year I’ve had a moment of clarity (and that does not mean that I have all this figured out it just means I can understand on a level I previously had not.)  Christ wants the world to see him not in gift giving but in giving people a chance at living.  Giving all people a chance to experience God’s love/redemption/forgiveness should be the focus.  Christ coming into the world meant all people could come to know God …what a thing celebrate.  I urge you to take a look at what you give your time/talent/resources too.  Are those things empowering people to see God in the midst of their circumstances?  Are we giving life or just more stuff?  What would it look like if we celebrated the Incarnation instead of Christmas?  Living Waters International is doing great work around the world to give life.  They are empowering people to see God in their circumstances.  Providing clean water  for a community does more than just help cure curable diseases it allows the communities to be sustainable (Go here http://www.water.cc/resources/ and see Development Steps PDF)   Best of all they are meeting spiritual needs by meeting physical needs.  We as Christians have for too long been trying to just meet spiritual needs only.  Luckily we are starting to see that they are connected.  It is naive of us (speaking of Christians) to think we are the only ones doing good in the world.  You don’t have to be Christian to care for the poor but if you are Christian you are commanded to love others as Christ loves us (in other words if you claim to be a Christian you should be in relationship/partnership with some group/organization that is caring for the poor.)  I do however believe (since I am Christian) that not all problems can be solved through meeting only physical needs and that is where I believe organizations like Living Waters International is doing.  To sum it all up how we treat the least of these is how we treat Jesus (Matthew 25.)  I invite you to slow down your frantic pace and see God in the midst of your circumstances.  Open your heart to the cries of those on the margins (and that does not mean just financially poor that means people who feel lost/alone/hurt/ignored.)  Finally, Celebrate the greatest gift that was given to all the world… Jesus Christ.  

Things to look at:

www.water.cc

http://www.onedollarwater.com/

http://livingwater.theh2oproject.org/