I received a phone call the other day... a guy was wanting to know what CoJ was doing to help families for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I suspect I will get lots of these calls!
The story goes that he just got laid off and wanted to provide his kids with a nice Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, I told him that for Christmas, we were working through Joseph House and some families there. But for Thanksgiving he and his family would be welcome to have a free meal from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at our neighbors, Bethany Lutheran Church. I am sure the meal will be a traditional thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings! After telling him that, it was clear that this was NOT what he was looking for and our call ended.
That call got me to thinking... why is there an expectation on the public's part that churches have an obligation to provide a meal at their home or even presents for Christmas. (I am thinking out loud here.) I don't have a problem with helping people with food if they are in need of that kind of help... in fact, that is why Bethany is doing the meal and why we, together, with them are opening a food pantry. BUT, why should the church be expected to give presents at Christmas? And is it a good thing for us to give presents at Christmas? Or are we just buying into the commercialization of Christmas when we do that! Nothing wrong with organizations in the community helping people in that way, but why the church?
I'm not sure what the right thing to do here is... I enjoyed taking the gifts we gave to one of the families last year and seeing the way it touched them... however, there seems to be an expectation that church's do this, yet these same people don't want anything to do with the church the rest of the year! I guess, I am reacting to the expectation that is present more than anything else!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
With all the culture of giving presents at Christmas, we are so far away from receiving our newborn King.
Post a Comment