I am often guilty of saying a flippant response and moving to the next person standing to speak with me. We know this year is vastly different from years past, but that does not excuse us from genuinely expressing sentiments of good cheer. Everyone could use a little joy in their lives, especially now. I think of the many children in the Special Pediatric Unit on the University of New Mexico Hospital’s sixth floor. We know what it is like to search for reasons to celebrate while sitting in a hospital room during the holidays.
To those who feel the darkness that surrounds them each day, I wish you wholeness. I am not talking about anything that depends on tangible things to satisfy the message of hope. I speak of an inward calm that rises above the pain that we feel or an inward commitment to higher ideas regarding life and each actual situation. I mean a feeling of satisfaction deep within our bones that steadies us and gives lasting peace in all circumstances. At the core of our inmost being, may God’s light shine.
On this third Monday of Advent, may we not get so caught up in our joy, making that we forget those who struggle. Let us remember, God came into the world to lead us all. Let us not boast so loudly that we fail to see our brothers and sisters who lay beside the road. Hopefully, we can stop and be the hands and feet of Christ by caring for those who need our help.
From a Pastor's Point of View 