Together on the Journey:
A Weekly Blog
I have an icon in my office by the modern icon writer Kelly Latimore. People who create icons are called ‘writers’ instead of ‘artists’. Even if you have never heard his name before, you are likely familiar with some of his work, which has been widely circulated in the last several years.
If you would like to see what Tent City Nativity looks like, here is a link:
I keep this image in my office because it reminds me of several things. First, Mary and Joseph and their families lived on the margins of society. They were not rich or well thought of, and they were oppressed. Second, it reminds me that Jesus came for those on the margins, to remind those at the edge of society that they were loved by a loving God, and that they mattered. Third, it reminds me that God is present in people and places where we would not necessarily expect God to be; this was just as true back then on the original Christmas as it is now.
But most of all, this image reminds me that because God came for those on the margins, that I need to spend time loving those on the margins too. One of the ways we are doing that at St. George’s this Christmas is through our Christmas concert this Sunday December 14th at 4pm where we will collect a freewill offering to be donated to St. James Food Basket, a local food bank. Other ways we loving our neighbours on the margins is through our winter coat drive and mitten tree collecting warm items, all of which will be donated to our neighbours who need them.
In Tent City Nativity, there are helpers. There is a person bringing a warm blanket for baby Jesus, another making soup, and another tending a fire. Even in the poorest of conditions, love and help are there. So let us be helpers this Christmas as we prepare to welcome God who is with us, Christ Emmanuel. Amen.
– Jess +