The Trash Man

 

The lighting of the Christ candle on Christmas day fills my heart with joy.  Sometimes my heart does a little jump, sometimes I want to sing and sometimes I am simply filled with resolution and contentment at the thought of God's fulfillment of prophecy and promise to send the Messiah -- Jesus -- the Light of the world.

"The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world."

1 John 1:9

What a hope-filled, joyful message!
Where there is hurt -- healing
Where there is suffering -- hope
Where there is hunger -- satisfaction
Where there is sorrow -- joy
Where there is war -- peace
Where there is division -- fellowship
Where there is brokenness -- love
Where there is darkness -- light...true Light!

We sing "Joy to the world, the Lord has come, let earth receive her king"...."Go tell it on the mountain...that Jesus Christ is born"...and we are filled with the excitement of letting all people hear the Good News that they, too, may see light in the darkness that surrounds them.

Then, as our family drove home from church on Christmas morning, we saw a man (likely on his way to/from church as well) sifting through our trash can which was placed at the end of our alley for pick-up (it doesn't always get picked up on schedule, so it remained there). 

What was there to be found in this wretched, reeking container, you ask?

Empty, crushed cartons, meat packaging, scraps of this and that -- nothing of use or worth (we know - we give away what is still useful for our housekeeper to sell).

What did he take away?


The plastic grocery bags we had put our trash in - those were still useful.  So, he dumped the trash out into the can and took the bags.

This was a sobering view as we approached our home to continue our Christmas celebration.  Although this man may or may not know of the Good News of Jesus Christ, he still struggles in the darkness of poverty.  Joy and Light have come - Jesus undoubtedly brought them, yet Jesus also dwelt with people in their darkness.  Sometimes he healed them or provided in their time of need, but he always showed the Way to God, the hope of salvation, the eternal healing and restoration from brokenness -- the way back to wholeness with God.

Often after witnessing poverty, I am left with more questions than answers or inspiration.

What am I doing to tell others of Jesus?
How can I dwell with others in darkness as Jesus did?
How does Christ want to use me to shine light into the darkness, even when I can't remove it?
What darkness do I still inhabit?
Where do I need to allow Christ's Light into my life?