December 22, 2021
During Advent, we give thanks for miraculous moments—good coming out of Honduras.
Luke 2:8-20
Imagine yourself as a shepherd – working diligently and faithfully to keep watch over your sheep at night.
You’re part of a close-knit community that cares for each other and preserves life.
Yet tonight it’s cold. The work is hard, dirty, even dangerous. You may feel restless, weary, and a bit afraid, wondering what ferocious animal or malicious bandit lurks just beyond the firelight. Still, you know that this job is a calling that instills in you love, commitment, and the daily practice of showing up.
Many of us who have lived and worked in the midst of injustice can sympathize with the shepherds. Violence, corruption, poverty, and fear are a part of the daily context in Honduras and beyond. But then suddenly, in the midst of the shepherds’ dark night, the sky ignites! The glory of the Lord shines. The heavens are filled with the countless angels singing God’s praise. A brief miraculous moment before the darkness once again engulfs the shepherds.
Tegucigalpa at night
Although brief, that moment’s brilliance is burned into the shepherds’ retinas. It fundamentally changes their view of the world. It gives them hope to do something audacious, to go out and find this Christ and share good news from unexpected sources – offering a rebuke to those who say, “What good could come out of Nazareth? What good could come out of Honduras?”
When we reflect on the last two decades of our work at ASJ, we can point to four or five of these sky-igniting, jaw-dropping, miraculous moments – and one of them happened last month. In an unexpectedly peaceful election, Hondurans stood for change; an unprecedented number of Honduran youth participated in transparency initiatives; and Honduran leaders asked ASJ for proposals to reform education, energy, and health.
In the words of Carlos Hernández, ASJ-Honduras Executive Director:
Without a doubt, the past few weeks are a sign that Hondurans continue to believe in the possibility of better futures. We will continue working, striving, and advocating to improve the quality of life of Hondurans.
ASJ, and Hondurans across the country, feel filled with hope to do something audacious. These miraculous moments are few and far between; most of our existence has been like the work of the shepherds – showing up day after day and being faithful to our call. But if not for this faithfulness, for this daily choice to show up, we may have missed the miracle.
Good came out of Nazareth, and good is coming out of Honduras too – may we recognize this as a narrative beyond our understanding. In these moments of brilliance amidst the darkness, we say, “Glory to God in the highest!”
We invite you to be ready to see and hear these miraculous moments where the sky ignites and the glory of the Lord shines in, and to join the host that sings out emphatically that justice can be done, that good is coming out of Honduras.
