Sunday I read this poem written for our Christmas presentation of, “It’s (Not) Beginning to Look alot Like Christmas”
Narration requires a story.
Story draws attention.
Attention to characters and plots.
Plots fill our lives and yet there is one plot that takes in them all.
All we experience comes under the story of God.
God creating, sustaining, redeeming, loving and caring.
Caring for what God cares for has been entrusted to us.
â??Usâ? who embrace the Word of God become flesh.
Flesh and blood, living and breathing
Breathing the air we breath and walking the earth we walk
Walk with us through a story.
Story of contrasts and common-ness.
Common-ness is what ties us together.
Together is what the word religion means.
Means bind together in community.
Community takes in all humanity.
Humanity in need of grace and love.
Love that surely comes from God and shows up in our actions toward others.
Others who may be characterized by Starbucks.
Starbucks does not take us all in.
In food pantry and clothes closets around the country.
Country of contrasts, of wealth and poverty.
Poverty in the land of plenty.
Plenty of hurt and pain.
Pain overtaken by hope.
Hope in Jesus.
Jesus came and still comes to us.
Us who need to be tied together.
Together loving God and loving others.
Others who buy expensive coffee and others who need the gift of bread.
Bread of life.
Life to the full.
Full of hope we offer a series of pictures.
Pictures that paint the story, the narrative of God.
God loved us and sent his to Son to be the sufficient sacrifice for us.
Us who need God, and each other.