This is a guest post by Pamela Tremblay.
Christ’s Birth as an Invitation to Enter the Messiness
The reflection states that Christ, “enters messily into the imperfection of our lives.” It then ends with the challenging question of “How will she bring his light to the world?” Young adults are a generation filled with passion and desire to change the world. They want to be people of greatness and are at a time in their lives of trying to see how it is they can do that. They want to make an impact on the world and a fingerprint on history. This art reflection and this time of Christmas remind all of us how God models for us how we can do that.
Watch the video and share some of the following with the young adults you serve in a discussion setting.
The Incarnation greatly impacted humanity, and it happened in a stable. The salvation of humankind was born through the willingness of a young woman to agree to the unknown. God became man by entering the messiness. These truths remind us that if we desire greatness we first have to give of ourselves. If we desire to make an impact, we first have to be willing to say yes to challenges we might not fully understand. And if we want to leave our fingerprint on history, we must enter into the messiness of the world—poverty, homelessness, injustice, inequality—and shine forth God’s light of mercy, compassion, love, and justice. So, as the reflection poses the question to the Tahitian woman, the question the Incarnation poses to us is how will we bring Christ’s light into the world?
Questions for Reflection
- Where do you find messiness in the world?
- How can you enter into that messiness?
- What does the Incarnation mean to you? How does it impact your life now?
- In what ways does Christ’s birth provide us with an example of the way to act?
Song Suggestion: Matt Maher, “All the People Said Amen”
Related Links
Transcript of the Video and Activities for Children at LoyolaPress.com
Ignatian Guided Reflection Inspired by the Arts & Faith Video
Pamela Tremblay is the Campus Minister in residence for social justice at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. She is also a graduate of the Echo Faith Formation Leadership Program at the University of Notre Dame.
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