Family at Christmas

A close friend told me the meaning of Christmas was celebrating family and friends and gift giving. Another friend wrote me how the meaning of Christmas was about God becoming human in the birth of Jesus. Perhaps my personal meaning of Christmas lies somewhere in between.

My December 24 posting ls this Wall Blocking Joseph and Mary from Bethlehem was a ‘downer’ for him and he was glad he did not read it until after Christmas day. I had sent it to friends saying how the hope of Christmas, Jesus being born, I found in friends and family. As Pope Francis clearly points out there is not much joy in a world of wars. People suffering in our cities and in other countries from greed and wars cannot be denied. Yet in family and friends and in despair and suffering we can find hope in the birth of Jesus in our friends.

The other day I heard from a friend I met in my journey to Haiti. He, like I, is interested in making the connection between growing foods and growing nonviolence in our world today. His garden outside of City Soleil and his school for youth teaching nonviolence is a testimony to the vision of people in Haiti. My friend gives me hope as he has hopes for one of the biggest slums in the Northern Hemisphere. The people of Haiti have and are suffering at the hands of the mighty but still carry hope in their hearts and are the friendliest people I have met. If the people of Haiti with their mix of Haitian Voodoo and Christianity]] can have hope in such an impoverished environment who am I to say Jesus is not born amidst us.

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