Holidays

News came on December 21st that Israeli officials announced the discovery in Nazareth of remains of the first dwellings ever found that date back to the time of Jesus. The Bible tells us that this is the town in which Mary was visited by the Angel and told that she would bear the child of God, the same small town in which Jesus grew up. Nazareth at this time was a town of about 50 residents; the dwellings were “simple” and the residents were of “modest means.” This dwelling therefore may have belonged to one of Jesus’ neighbors; may even have housed some of Jesus’ extended family.

As I read this story I could not help but be carried back two thousand plus years to the weeks surrounding Mary’s pregnancy and Jesus’ birth. How the neighborhood must have buzzed with the rumors of Mary’s pregnancy; can’t you just picture the grandmothers clucking and the mothers shaking their heads in disbelief? How could this happen; she was such a quiet shy girl…..who would have dreamed she would become an unwed mother? How the town folk must have gossiped when Mary and Joseph returned from Bethlehem with their small baby and set up house in the village.

Back then there were no nonprofit agencies to deal with the stigmatized and marginalized; simple folk of modest means who had to scrape together a living to support an unplanned baby on a carpenter’s salary. There were no nonprofits to bring food to the hungry, clothe the poor and goods to the jobless. They were cared for by the extended family and neighbors.

Today we write our checks and mail them off to our favorite charities knowing that they will steward our donations to those in need. We rely on the expertise of these wonderful nonprofits to provide for the homeless, the jobless and the hungry. At this time of year, as we celebrate the birth of Christ, let us be mindful of the great work that our nonprofits do; let us open our wallets wide so that they can continue to do their good works. And let us never forget that helping those in need is timeless, it is our responsibility and it still is, as it was two thousand years ago, our privilege and our own way of serving God.