Friends, a very beautiful thing is happening at St. George’s.  When looking around their house for furniture items that could be useful for our refugees, Susan and Wayne discovered an unused Christmas tree.  They’ve offered it for one of the two families.  Now, wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone were to step forward with a second tree - and perhaps even a third?  And then imagine if each family in the parish were to give one or two ornaments or decorations from our own trees at home - or perhaps make ornaments for our refugees, maybe with messages of support, welcome and Christmas blessings.  The beautiful thing is this: then, every year when the families set up their trees, they would be a sign of how we at St. George’s have come together to welcome them to Canada and support them to make a home here.  That is a very beautiful Christmas message: that by welcoming these strangers, and clothing them, and helping to furnish their homes, we ourselves are getting a little taste of the song of the heavenly host on that first Christmas, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards all!”   

Blessings,

Clara+

PS: for those interested in the debate about saying “Merry Christmas” to strangers, I stumbled upon this outstanding opinion piece in the Washington Post.  It is quite anti-Trump, but it touches on the heart of the Christian message, and leaves us with a great challenge to live out our faith as disciples of Christ:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/12/07/saying-merry-christmas-isnt-an-affront-but-trump-is-trying-to-make-it-one/?utm_term=.30faaacd80c5