By Sarah Gautier
I live on the east side of the city in a small but densely populated neighborhood that is undergoing rapid transition. I have walked around my small neighborhood, wondering: what good can come from a neighborhood that is going through so much transition?
Then, I remember Ruth, Naomi and Boaz. The stories of ordinary people in a small neighborhood, called Bethlehem, going through transitions. Naomi lost her family and was going through a transition of depression. Ruth left her community and was going through a transition of belonging. Boaz left his season of bachelorhood behind and was going through a transition of marriage. Everyday, ordinary stories of people in a small neighborhood, called Bethlehem. People going through transitions and probably wondering what good can come out of it.
But God was moving through these transitions. These transitions led to the birth of King David.
In this second week of Advent we remember Bethlehem. The small transitional neighborhood. The birthplace of King David during a time of transition for Ruth, Naomi and Boaz becomes the birthplace of King Jesus during a time of transition for Mary and Joseph. God was still moving in transitions.
We are those ordinary people who live in times of transition. We ask ourselves: What good can come from my neighborhood? What good can come from my history? What good can come from my transitions?
However, Bethlehem teaches us that Christ was born in the neighborhood. Christ was born in an everyday, ordinary story. Christ was born in transition. You will find Christ moving in transitions.
Prayer: Open the eyes of our heart to see how you are moving in our transitions.
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How is God moving in our transitions?
By By Lcda. Sarah Gautier
I live on the east side of the city in a small, yet densely populated neighborhood undergoing rapid transition. I have walked, run, and biked through my small neighborhood, wondering: What good can come from a neighborhood undergoing so much transition?
Then, I remember Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. The stories of everyday, ordinary people in a small neighborhood, called Bethlehem, going through transitions. Naomi lost her family and was going through a transition of depression. Ruth left her community and was going through a transition of belonging. Boaz left behind his season of singleness and was going through a transition of partnership in marriage. Everyday, ordinary stories of people in a small neighborhood, called Bethlehem. People going through transitions and probably wondering what good can come from this?
But God was moving through these transitions. These transitions led to the birth of King David.
On this second week of Advent, we remember Bethlehem. The small neighborhood of transition. The birthplace of King David during a time of transition for Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz becomes the birthplace of King Jesus during a time of transition for Mary and Joseph. God was still moving in the transitions.
We are those everyday, ordinary people living in places of transition. Wondering what good can come from my neighborhood? What good can come from my story? What good can come from transitions?
Yet, Bethlehem teaches us that Christ was born in the neighborhood. Christ was born in an everyday, ordinary story. Christ was born in the transition. You'll find Christ moving in the transitions.
Prayer: Open the eyes of our heart to see how you are moving in our transitions.