"…Neither is this Thou" (- C. Williams)

Jesus gave an ominous warning to those who harm children. Will we Christians who live in a nation that ignores suffering children “at our gate” escape the corroding affects of hypocrisy on the human spirit? While we celebrate the sentimentally perceived meaning of Christmas, our consciences may not be so unsettled as they could be in the presence of the Incarnation.

Imagine that a person had the power to prevent a brutal act of cruelty but refused to do something about it for fear of personal loss. We wouldn’t think much of that person, would we? I think this is the great sin of the USAmerican churches: Too many of us pass by the injured one by the road. When we support public policies that turn a blind eye toward suffering children, the Samaritan sheds light on our identity in the story.

How must real repentance look for us in this current season of tragedy and hope? Only actions on behalf of the suffering make the season real.