If you haven’t already, I encourage you to pick up a copy of the “From the Manger” Advent Devotional when you drop by Holy Cross. Or, if you prefer, we can email you a PDF copy.
“From the Manger” explores the world’s hunger and how God works to meet that need. Perhaps you hunger to be fed with food, relationships, meaning, purpose, or something else. The Gospel of Luke tells the birth narrative of Jesus and repeatedly uses this theme of hunger. When Mary learns she is to bear a child and give birth to the son of God, she sings about how God “filled the hungry with good things.” Did you ever consider that Jesus was born in a manger used to feed animals, and those animals worked to provide food for others? Did you know Bethlehem means “house of bread” in Hebrew? Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the house of bread. Jesus comes into the world to save creation by feeding all and filling them with what they need.
We'll follow along during the weeks of Advent, discussing the traditional themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. Although these are traditional Advent themes, you might be hungering for one or all of them now.
Today, let’s talk about hope. “From the Manger” explains, “hope is believing that, with compassion and imagination, things can get better.” It’s a simple definition but not much more complicated. Hope is believing that things can get better. But hope, on its own, is not the best strategy. Compassion and imagination are relational aspects that, when added to hope, can make for a new reality.
Compassion involves noticing the suffering of others and empathizing with them. It also involves noticing other people’s needs and feeling a sense of how they are hurting. Imagination involves envisioning a better future and working towards it with others.
Here are a few examples of God working through you and the ministry of the Holy Cross.
Housing insecurity is an issue in Lake County. Holy Cross supports PADS of Lake County by preparing meals and helping those seeking dignity through shelter to find it. Holy Cross also partners with C.O.O.L. Ministries to feed the hungry of Lake County. ELCA World Hunger is supported to feed the hungry nationwide and internationally. Many of you support Feed My Starving Children by packing meals and making donations to pay for the food to get food to people in places across the globe who are experiencing severe hunger. Holy Cross supports Willow House in helping those grieving and hungry for peace.
These examples are instances of you “believing that, with compassion and imagination, things can get better.”
God has come, is coming, and will come from the manger to meet our hunger for hope,
May you find this hope,
Pastor Chris
Comments