December 10

Every year during Advent, we are invited to be thoroughly scandalized by the narrative and implications of Jesus’ earthside arrival. To fully accept this invitation is to prepare for a birthday party that relieves our deadly addictions to decaying, extractive, and genocidal empires. To keep the party going reduces harm to those hurting, fosters true belonging in community, radicalizes us, and finds us deeply invested in liberating the entire earth from the outside-in. This is the road to and beyond Christmas.

Joy to the world!

However…

To be thoroughly scandalized by the power and truth of Christmas, we must first pay attention to who carries the invitation to the party.

The couriers of the Christmas Story are those we last think (or want) to listen to. And yet, as always, they are the prophets of the Most High, the ones preparing the way of God here on earth: whether we like it or not, whether we listen or not, whether we want to join that party or not.  People who use drugs (PWUDs) are marginalized, stigmatized prophets in our society with bold, beautiful messages to share about the transformational love and avenues they need to reduce the harms of their drug use. They are the Wise Ones of the path to be walked. People who use drugs are the “unexpected” voice heralding an Advent our society desperately needs to reduce the harms of overdose, incarceration, and stigmatization of beloved image bearers of the divine. Are we positioned to receive the invitation?

This Advent, commission yourself to hear a new invitation – a Christmas story of harm reduction that upends criminalization, stigmatization, and dehumanization of people who use drugs and supports them taking up space to pave a new road we walk together.

Prayer

When the truth comes from voices we aren’t used to hearing,
open our hearts.

When the message challenges our notions of what is right and just,
open our hearts.

When the sound of our own egos drowns out the wisdom of others,
open our hearts.

Still-Speaking God,
teach us to recognize that this is how your love makes itself known:
in and through the ones empire would prefer not to hear or heed. Amen.

Freedom Song

Music: Way Out of No Way by Tracy Howe and Osagyefo Sekou
Offered by: Tracy Howe