Together on the Journey: A Weekly Blog from Fr. Andrew Sheldon
They say it’s the most wonderful time of the year. And for many, and in all sorts of ways, it is. Plans are made, menus set, gift lists perused. Old friends get together and family members reappear. And in the church, some of the most beautiful music and striking liturgies of the year. Yes, a most wonderful time.
But, perhaps, not for all.
During Advent, we have begun the 10:30 Celebration with a tradition called Los Posadas. The children of the church process up the aisle and, as happened with Mary and Joseph, repeatedly ask for entrance into the inn, only to be repeatedly rebuffed. This playful exercise does, however, have a serious side in that it reminds us that the lack of shelter continues to be an issue for many. And not just a lack of shelter.
Large numbers of people continue to live without the many necessities of life we take for granted. Even in Toronto there is, apparently, not enough food, not enough housing, not enough jobs, not enough opportunities and support for the marginalized and disadvantaged, not enough presents for children at Christmas. There is, for many, not enough room at the inn of affluence and ease where the majority of us are hunkering down for a season of comfort and joy, a season of more than enough.
The Christmas story reminds us that God in Christ chose to identify with those who get left out. There was not enough room for Joseph and Mary at the inn. They lacked the credentials or the wherewithal or the connections, but the result was that the king of the universe was born in a stable and had a feeding trough for a crib. It is not surprising, then, that he would grow up to especially love and serve those for whom there was no room in the courts and counsels of the rich and the powerful and the self-righteous.
We at St George’s who follow this Jesus are called into this same ministry. We are a place and a people who must constantly strive to find new ways and means of making room and providing for those who are the most vulnerable. In this respect, we have much to be satisfied with. Our creativity and energy have resulted in a variety of services, programmes and partnerships that address many needs in our community. We are also a place and a people that continue to draw others into the warmth of God’s love in a way that brings wholeness and healing to those who suffer in body, soul, mind, and spirit. We are a home for the lonely, overwhelmed, and isolated. But, of course, we can always aspire and endeavour to do more.
Ultimately, however, this is a most wonderful time of the year precisely because it is the time of the year when we are reminded that we are all on God’s gift list! God so loved that God gave. You and I who in a multitude of ways feel left out and vulnerable are the recipients of the greatest gift ever given. In the Christ Child, God has opened the doors of his love, mercy and grace and invited us in. There is always room in God’s love, always room.
Andrew +