No, I'm not talking about those who define the spirit of the season as simply being greeted with "Merry Christmas" as they load up their carts at Wally World and max out their credit cards in their rush to "honor" the birth of Jesus.
What would Jesus do?We've asked that question a thousand times and more right here on DU. Who would Jesus bomb? Who would Jesus torture? Who would Jesus hate? Event though I am not a religious person I find myself asking those same questions, recognizing the wise and too-oft forgotten teachings in the Book of Matthew: compassion, tolerance, caring for the poor. Too often I find myself wanting.
Yet there are those out there who, in their everyday lives, are working to share that very spirit in our world, to whom every day is Christmas day in the very best sense. Who are the people in your community who feed the poor, shelter the homeless, care for the elderly, defend the powerless, befriend the lost? They may be friends or neighbors; they may be the quiet stranger among us who asks for no thanks save the knowledge that they have touched the life of someone in need. Please remember these selfless people this holiday season. And when you make out your gift list this year stop and ask yourself
"What would Jesus do?" Perhaps you can find him at the nearest food pantry, preparing a week's meals for a hungry family. Perhaps you could find him at the local women's shelter, providing support and care to a mother and child. No doubt you might spot him offering comfort at a hospice, playing Santa at a nursing home, or collecting warm clothing for those whose holiday will be cold and friendless. There we will encounter the true embodiment of Christ's teachings, not at the mall or the Lexus dealer around the corner.
This year, my partner and I decided to honor our much-loved circle of friends by sharing their generous spirits with others. Through MercyCorps we selected gifts of life, in their names, for others around the world. Through MercyCorps you can choose to donate anything from a Child Health Kit to a Goat Kit to a Women's Small Business Kit -- there are some 20+ ways to spread the message of peace with others here at home and around the world. Please visit their website at
http://www.mercycorps.org/mercykits for more information on this worthy organization.
Certainly, there are many other groups which provide with such gift-giving (such as WorldVision), so please let us know more about them. Sorry if this post may sound a bit corny, but I do believe there has been a war on Christmas -- a war waged not by those who might wish you a "Happy Holiday" rather than a "Merry Christmas" but by those who have forgotten the Christmas message which was the greatest gift of all to the world:
Peace on Earth, and Goodwill Towards All. Peace!
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world" -- Mahatma Gandhi
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