This year’s unexpected Christmas gift: This season helps us reflect on our responsibilities as Americans.
As a religious sister, it may seem natural for my faith to integrate with other aspects of my life, but the question I’m asking myself right now, and I’m asking you, too, is… The question is, “How should Christmas and politics be related?” I’m not talking about politicians posing for photos at Christmas tree lighting ceremonies. What I’m talking about is finding hope, strength, and unity in the midst of a never-ending divisive and dire news cycle. Christmas can also bring new birth (new life?) to the world of politics.
Hope is hard to find. Consider, for example, the fact that our world faces worsening natural disasters and extreme climate change. Indeed, I pray that future leaders will continue to invest in clean energy and cooperate in international efforts to limit climate disaster.
But I also pray that we will not succumb to political polarization on issues like climate change, but instead view them as moral issues. What does the Christian witness call to us as we look at the suffering in Ukraine and the Middle East? The hardships and hardships that have left many migrants and refugees seeking safer shores, only to be despised in many communities. What is it? Does a wandering family encountering a “no room” situation remind us of the stories we hold sacred? If we can see Christ in others and sympathize with their suffering, we can change the way our nation and government function.
How can we find this compassion? The words of Kenyan activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Mathai resonate in my heart. “There comes a time in the course of history when humanity is required to move to a new level of consciousness and reach a higher moral ground. When we must abandon fear and give each other hope. is.”
I think fear is what holds us back. My perspective from the battleground state of Michigan is that there is a deep-seated anxiety about difference and belonging in this country. This anxiety can be triggered by anything from rude behavior on social media to noticing that more people around you speak Spanish. Our primitive instinct to see someone as an outsider, an “other,” may be the greatest obstacle to truly loving our neighbor.
I also feel anxious sometimes. But in Matai’s words, I want to embrace a new level of consciousness. I believe that creation unfolds in an evolutionary process with God, which includes evolving into higher consciousness. If we have hope for a better world, if we have faith in God and each other, we can pray, act repeatedly, and create a better world with our individual efforts. We can find inspiration for this journey in our incarnations. God enters humanity in a shocking sharing of love and union. He joins us in our evolutionary path in physical human form. Therefore, we ourselves are part of the Christmas story, which is still unfolding.
Let’s return to the story of Jesus’ birth and the journey of the Holy Family. Mary and Joseph had to travel for the census as Mary became critical in the last weeks of her pregnancy. There was no room for them in the inn, but God made a way. Jesus came into the world in the simplest of shelters, perfectly loved and safe.
Later, when a massacre was threatened against the infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph bravely fled to Egypt to protect him once again. Even though they were at the mercy of strangers in a foreign land, they must have found kindness in the process. Mary and Joseph persevered and trusted even under the most dire of circumstances. No matter how different our opinions may be, we can deepen our trust in each other and contribute to the rebirth of the world.
That’s why I even believe that there is hope in politics through Christ. We can make a difference by participating in God’s action in the world. A year ago, Pope Francis wrote in his Apostolic Exhortation that “unless citizens control political power…it will be impossible to control the damage to the environment.” And that applies to all the issues we care about. In the Gospels, the new paradigm did not come from political or religious leaders, but from babies, their mothers and fathers. God says again, “Behold, I am doing new things” (Isa. 43:19).
Indeed, the hope and love of Christmas can transcend political divides and inspire new unity. Such hope and love cannot be found only in our families or local parishes. No, it must spill over into all of our relationships. From a stranger in the grocery store to a stranger with no place to shelter for the night. We must invite Christmas to every corner of the world. Because even though the world is crying out, a love so great can change everything.
