Books, if we choose to read them, permit us to increase our vocabulary, gain better syntax in our language, open new places and people to us. Books use our own imaginative senses to “see” what the author has written. The scenes may be written in such a way we can see clearly as the author intended, or it could be seen in our own way.
There are times in our lives when there is a great deal of hurt. It is from others (friends and family) or illness, or loneliness. There are lots of reasons. And in it, right in the middle of the “eye of the storm” we wonder: Why?
At Christmas we hear of the coming of the Saviour and therefore the coming of Holy Hope. We celebrate the birth of the Messiah and relive the moments with Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the angels. We hear “Be not afraid…this is good news of great joy to all the people” (Luke 2, 10) This is living hope. Sung by the angels and witnessed by the poor, not the rich. Why then should this be important, this hope? Because after more than 2000 years since his birth we still have poverty and illness, and social ills. We still need that hope coming with the message of the angels.
We all face loss. And what do we do with it. How is it expressed and how does it change us? Loss can be if employment and position in society. It can be financial, or more frequently, the loss of friends and loved ones through death.
The kindness of strangers is only the beginning. It becomes the kindness of acquaintances. The effort to be kind, and for some this may truly be the case, forces us to choose the selfish egoist path or enter the road of contact and sharing. Kindness is the key - a recognition if the need of another and a decision to help in some way this other person. How much we offer is another issue but we learn that kindness is priceless.