At the beginning of this New Year, shepherds and wise men live side by side in the cribs of our communities. The miracle of the crib is exactly that: these figures are united in their adoration of the Child Jesus. On one side are the shepherds who had a bad reputation. They were viewed as thieves, liars, people who couldn’t be trusted and whose word was not credible. On the other side are the Magi, intellectuals, cultured, men of science, part of the upper class, whose word carried weight. The birth of Jesus unites the extremes of society: the voiceless and the influential.
The figures that we so easily place side by side in the cribs of our homes carry the promise that relationships can be transformed within our societies. That it is possible to work and move forward together: the greatest and the humblest of this world.
Yes, there is something miraculous going on in the crib right in our midst when we can bring people together who seem to be so far away from each other. This is the miracle of the crib: our differences are no longer insurmountable walls: instead they become like windows opening out towards communion. This is precisely the message that Esperanza wants to bring to you at the beginning of this New Year 2020: Happy New Year of unity in diversity