And God is in there somewhere
One Christmas many years ago on a visit to my dad, we sat before a cozy fire with our holiday drinks. I asked him what concepts we humans needed to have in our intellectual toolkit as we consider our place in the universe.
As a geologist, he immediately responded that we needed to consider the enormity of space and time, and the infinitesimal tininess of human life within space and time. He added that in the brief time and space given to us, we are called to do the most good we can. He paused, then added, “And God is in there somewhere.”
In the good we do through Catholic Charities and through our lives at home and in the community, God is in there somewhere. In the struggles of our clients who suffer mental illness, addiction, homelessness, hunger, poverty and rejection — God is in there — somewhere. For the Word has become flesh and dwells among us — indeed, dwells within us.
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” God — in that Bethlehem manger and hidden on the streets of our cities and towns. John’s Gospel connects God, Word, Life and Light. At Catholic Charities we are called to bring this light, this Word, this love immediately to those who suffer in the darkness of fear, of exclusion, of rejection, of poverty.
And we are bathed in this light, graced by Grace in the daily encounters with those we are privileged to serve — immigrants, refugees, seniors, children and families affected by poverty or disasters, people re-entering society from incarceration, those struggling with mental illness, homelessness, and hunger.
What is Christmas then but the celebration of the light of God’s love made manifest in human form, of God with us, of God within us — somewhere.
So may you rejoice this Christmas day and bring Christmas to all throughout the year as you rejoice in God’s abundant love.
Merry Christmas!
Greg Kepferle is retiring as CEO of Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County in San Jose, California.