At Sunday afternoon's study group we watched a short video which showed how the travel conditions for Mary and Joseph might have been as they journeyed between Nazareth and Bethlehem. The host of the video took us onto the road that the couple might have traveled. The path went through olive tree orchards, next to bubbling streams, and through dry and arid lands. There were parts of the road that were flat and easy to travel and parts that went through deep valleys and over steep hillsides. The host commented that on parts of the journey they would have been part of a great caravan and on other parts they would have been alone.
The story we were told brought to mind how my personal journey is extremely similar. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes not so much. Sometimes I travel with many and sometimes with nobody. But, just as Mary and Joseph trusted in God and focused on God's purpose for them, So have I learned to trust.
One of the topics the video touched on was how Joseph and Mary sacrificed a lot of themselves to find a way to fulfill God's purpose. The host eventually lead the conversation into sacrificing ourselves for others, especially at Christmas time. He pointed out that there was a church congregation he knew of that gave a matching gift to the church on Christmas Eve based on how much they spent on gifts for their family. If they spent $500 on gifts, they gave $500 to the church. The church would then donate the money to one local cause, such as a homeless shelter, and one international cause, such as building wells in Africa.
Our group picked up on that theme and discussed different ways we could sacrifice some of ourselves, not just during Christmas, but as often as we can. We recognized that there are many times when we forget to harvest what we plant, or don't take the opportunity to speak up instead of being silent. A lot of the time we feed the hungry only during the holidays, or donate our old clothes to simply get a tax break, or close our eyes as we see social injustice happen right before our eyes.
As Christians I think we're called to know what to do and when to do it; through and with the guidance of God.
With the new year upon us maybe we, too, could start to build that trust in God to know the right time to do the things which will eventually bring goodness into the world - even if it's just one life at a time. Joseph and Mary had that trust, and when it was time they got to enjoy the results of the work they were given: raising the infant Christ to become a strong, young man.
Let's find a way for all people to eat, drink, and enjoy the results of their hard work.
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