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The
Magi and the Tsunami
Fr.
George Smiga
Jan.
2, 2005
Matthew
2:1-12
The
general joy of our holidays has been shaken by the terrible
news of the disaster caused by the tsunami in the Indian Ocean.
Already the count of the dead is over 100,000 and still rising.
The immensity of this disaster is only now sinking in to our
consciousness, as the world prepares for what will most likely
be the greatest relief effort of history.
As
Christians, we should approach this disaster as we do all
things in light of the gospel. Today's story of the Magi on
the feast of the Epiphany can be helpful to us. For the story
presents to us with two truths which will not only help us
understand this tragedy but also direct our reaction to it.
The story of the Magi presents the truth of universality and
the importance of action.
The
story of the Magi proclaims that the good news of Christ is
for all people—for the entire world. We do not know too much
about the Magi themselves, but one thing is clear from the
gospel: they were not Jewish. They came from another country,
from the east. They were foreigners. This dimension of the
story makes it clear that the good news of Christ's salvation
is not to be limited to any one nation, people, culture or
race. Christ comes to every person. Christ comes to the entire
world. This truth is so central to the story that, as history
continued, the Christian imagination filled in the details.
As representations of the Magi began to be created, it become
customary to assign a continent to each of the three Magi,
corresponding to the three continents of the world that were
known at that time. So there was a black Magi representing
Africa, a yellow Magi representing Asia, and a white Magi
representing Europe. The clear message of this decision was
that all people are connected to Christ and thereby all people
are connected to one another.
This
truth, then, has a direct relevance to the terrible disaster
that happened on December 26. It tells us that the people
whose lives were ruined by this disaster are connected to
us. Even though many of us probably could not find Malaysia
or Indonesia on a map, the need which those people are experiencing
is a need to which we are called to respond. God's love has
no limits. Therefore, we should we place no limits on ours.
God's love is universal, and our responsibility to others
is universal as well.
The
universality of connectedness between all people is central
to the Magi story. But there is another truth to that story
that is equally important, and that is the necessity of action.
The Magi in the story not only saw the star, and realized
its significance, they followed it. They chose to act. They
left their comfortable homes, undertook an arduous journey,
and came to pay homage to the Christ Child. In the same way,
we are called to act. How easy it would be for us, having
heard the news of this disaster, to turn back to our secure
lives, to our holiday celebrations. The story of the Magi
says we must not simply know and understand. We must act.
But
what are we to do? The answer is clear: we are to give out
of our abundance to those who are in need. We do not need
to give a huge amount, but the gospel calls us to act, to
offer something. Regina Brett in her column in the Plain Dealer
this week shared a beautiful story about a woman who was standing
on the beach in the midst of hundreds of starfish, which were
dying because they had been washed out of the sea to the shore.
She was picking them up and throwing them back into the sea.
A man came by and shook his head and said, “You'll never save
all of them. What difference will it make?” She picked up
another starfish, threw it into the sea, and said, “It just
made a difference for that starfish.”
We
don't need to meet every need, but even a small gift out of
our abundance might make the difference for one person who
is battling starvation and death now in Indonesia. Moreover,
this time of year provides so many opportunities. Return a
Christmas gift that you don't want to the store, and contribute
the money to the relief fund. Take some of the money you were
going to use for post-Christmas sales and divert that to those
who are in need. As Anthony announced before Mass, both this
weekend and next weekend we will be collecting monies to direct
to Catholic Relief Services that is guaranteed 100% of the
donations would be given directly to the refugees.
The
story of the Magi emphasizes the universality of our connectedness
with people throughout the world and the necessity for us
to translate our faith into action. God loves all people,
and therefore our love must strive to be that universal. Any
person in need has a claim on us. So let us resolve to act,
to give whatever we can as a gesture that shows our connectedness
to others and our desire to address this catastrophic need
which has struck our planet. Let us choose to act in some
way in the upcoming days to give from our abundance, to help
our brothers and sisters on the other side of the world.
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