蜜芽传媒

Good morning.

As the latest storm batters the communities of the North, already so badly damaged by the flooding, we are brought face to face with the misery that this disaster continues to cause.
Flooding has desecrated what were once comfortable homes; emptying them of their treasured contents,
and leaving behind waterlogged bricks and mortar.

If this is how the year is ending for our friends and neighbours, for those near to us,
We can recall that the year began with homelessness in far away places.
We saw pictures of streams of refugees having to abandon their homes, and fleeing for their lives
before the destructive advance of so-called Islamic State,
who spread waves of misery everywhere they go.
And it's heartwarming to hear that there are groups of good people opening their arms to them, as there are to those in the North.

But a home is more than four walls and a roof.
And it's more than the sum of its contents.
A real home has to be more than the place where various members of the household just happen to live.
And this becomes apparent especially during these Christmas holidays, when families spend so much time together.
The other day, I was told by a divorce lawyer that Christmas holidays were the busiest time of the year for him!
That's a sobering thought!
It seems that many people can only live together by avoiding each other.
So here's a question:
In our homes, do we make room in our hearts for each other?

These last few days, a story has been told about a group of homeless people.
Buts it's a story full of joy not misery.
In Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph were a displaced couple,
and for company they were surrounded by shepherds and foreigners from the East;
All them living away from their homes,
but all of them joyfully 'making homes in their hearts' for Jesus, the newborn baby in their midst.

On Friday we begin a new year,
and as a sort of New Year resolution,
Pope Francis is proposing that we dedicate it to the theme of Mercy.
Mercy isn't just a nice-sounding religious idea;
It's a practical way of living:

It means being brave enough to say
'Sorry!', when we realise we haven't made room for others,
or being big enough to say
'Don't worry! I forgive you!' in reply,
and giving them a hug!
It means supporting people wherever they are,
who'll struggle to cope with the year that stretches ahead.
Whenever we do anything for the homeless
whether literally or spiritually,
whether they're nearby or far away,
at the very least...
we're making homes for them in our hearts.
We're opening channels of mercy;

And not just for others...
but also for ourselves.

Maybe that's something which can inspire us,
as we think about resolutions for 2016...
and wish each other a Happy New Year!

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