Nativity Sentimentalism

There are many who are enkindled with dreamy devotion, and when they hear of the poverty of Christ, they are almost angry with the citizens of Bethlehem. They denounce their blindness and ingratitude, and think, if they had been there, they would have shown the Lord and his mother a more kindly service and would not have permitted them to be treated so miserably. But they do not look by their side to see how many of their fellow humans need their help, and which they ignore in their misery. Who is there upon earth that has no poor, miserable, sick, erring ones around him? Why does he not exercise his love to those? Why does he not do to them as Christ has done to him? Martin Luther, Watch for the Light, Daily Dig, December 16, 2015

Comments

[Archie Honrado]

Thanks for the post Mike. We have loved and served others through our institutionalized ministries and I remember with gratitude my own organization and the others i'm affliated with. I'm glad that I can serve with you Mike serving dried out and conflicted youth workers- I think they sometimes fall under the "poor, miserable and sick" at least in spirit.
May i be not just a mere sentimentalist and put my coffee cup down to reach out to my neighbors.