I saw a post run through my news feed: “Church acts in irrational generosity to help refugees” and my heart smiled. I’ve seen a lot of fear and anger and debate the last several weeks, but as we enter a giving season I hope we can all learn to be “irrationally generous.”
It’s time to prepare for Christmas. People are hitting the mall, looking for those perfect gifts, pulling down decorations, putting up trees.
But let me submit to you that the most important place we have to prepare for Christmas is that place in our hearts.
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This is why Advent traditions are so important in my household, and why Advent candles are placed out first, before anything and everything else.
This is why giving and volunteering during this season are so important to me, to build a foundation of giving for all the year.
So today, as we all recover from our feasting and our thanksgiving, I’m asking something of you:
Can we put aside anger and fear and embrace peace, joy, love, and generosity?
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Lets put aside the debate over whether or not we should open our borders to refugees and, instead, open our hearts. We all know there are people in need, so can we reach into our bank accounts and be irrationally generous today?
I’m going to include some links here to places you can donate to help the refugees where they are now, certainly we can all do that much.
I’m doing my best to link to the pages from each organization to donate specifically for the aid of Syrian Refugees.
I know people can be picky as to where they place their dollars in regards to charities. I hope one of these can fulfill your needs. If you would rather give in another way please don’t give up, find a way you can help. We can all help. We can all be irrationally generous.
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Matthew 25:34-40
Practice Irrational Generosity with me this Christmas Season!
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Merry Christmas!
Joy Aletheia Stevens
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