An Advent Reflection: Contemplating the Generosity of Christ

“It’s not easy to sponsor a child you’ve never even met before…”

This statement from Charles Mwanza – a graduate of our Orphan Sponsorship Program and one of the first to earn a college degree through our Mapalo Scholarship Fund – is a common refrain among program grads when asked what they would like to say to their sponsors.

It’s normal to care for a family member when tragedy strikes. It could even be viewed as normal to care for members of one’s own community, whether they are family or not. But to care for children thousands of miles away, whom you’ve never met and will likely never meet? This is extraordinary, and it demands an explanation. They are truly astonished that this kind of sacrificial love could come from someone who doesn’t even know them.

Their expressions of amazement remind me of Jesus’ exhortation in Luke 14:12-15:

“When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Lest you think that Jesus is forbidding you from being generous toward those closest to you, let me assure you that this is not his point. I will be giving gifts to my loved ones this Christmas, and I hope you will too. Jesus is simply saying that as his disciples, our generosity cannot stop there. It is normal to lavish generous gifts on those who can return the favor to us. What is truly extraordinary is to do the same, even when we have no hope of receiving anything in return.

As we step into the Advent season, I want to thank you on behalf of all the children and families we serve. Your generosity toward them is a compelling picture of the One who took on human flesh, becoming poor so that we, by his poverty, might become rich. Jesus came to willingly embrace the greatest cost for us, knowing full well that there was nothing we could do to repay him for his sacrifice.

Ultimately, this is the reason the kids in our program find your generous investment into their lives so awe-inspiring. It is a reflection of the generosity of Christ; born of God, not of flesh. They may never be able to repay you, but that is precisely the reason Jesus promises to repay you at the resurrection of the just. May his name be glorified as his generosity toward us overflows into the lives of our children, not only in this Christmas season, but year-round.