Room for Christ

[Bruderhof News]

Check out this article at Bruderhof.com:
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Room for Christ - Seeing Christ in the Unsightly
by Dorothy Day

It is no use saying that we are born two thousand years too late to give room
to Christ. Nor will those who live at the end of the world have been born too
late. Christ is always with us, always asking for room in our hearts.

Read the rest of this article at:
http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/RoomForChrist.htm
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[Caitriona]

Dorothy Day's article has brought 'what you do to others you do to me' into
the reality and concreteness of everyday life... they have an immediate impact,
bringing me from the world of ideas and aspirations about Christ's message to
the immediacy of everyday life among those I live and work with and meet every
day.

Caitriona
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[Larry Packer]

I read this article, just now, at a time when I was at a very low point. God
is always so faithful to bring us a word to sustain and encourage at just the
right moment. This message is such a beautiful reminder of how we should as
disciples of Jesus conduct our thoughts towards others. Four weeks ago my wife
and I received a call from friends in N.Y. that their son needed a place for
a time, would we be willing. I knew then it was really God asking.

Larry Packer

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[Janice Mann]

Thank you so for this reading. It is a lovely reminder to me. I cook for and
help a man who feeds the homeless, and I get more out of it than I give. When
others ask me why I do it, I can give them a copy of this reading. It is also
the reason that, when I go shopping for what I cook, I do not worry about what
is cheaper, just what is good. I often think, "What would I serve if Christ
were coming to dinner?" And I buy accordingly. However, I have never had my
thoughts and feelings put into such wonderful words as these, and for this reading
I thank you very, very much.

Janice Mann

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[Kathy Quintano]

Thank you for the reminder. Dorothy Day has long been one of my favorite writers
but it's been a while since I've read her. What a great way to start a day and
week, especially during this very hectic season. Thanks again.

Kathy Quintano

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[Wes Konrad]

Christ does not expect us to canonize the criminal, the one who spends his life
joyfully hurting other people, but He does expect us to be receptive, to receive
all who come to us with a generosity of Spirit, an openness that makes possible
a ministry of love. He does expect us to feed anyone who is hungry (it doesn't
matter how he got that way) and He expects us to heal the sick (no matter how
they got that way) Our Lord has given us by His blueprint, the way to live in
a world with so much good and so much evil. Scripture is generous in giving
us ways to take Christ's blueprint for life and make it our own.

Wes Konrad

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[Alex Herrera]

I just want to thank you for your ministry and ask for God's blessings in all
your endeavors.

Alex Herrera

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[gene heath]

I do that which I do because I cannot not do it. I would that I had ministered
to all that I have seen but I haven't. Many times the faces of men or women
at the Hiway exit ramps have haunted me. I truly thank God that at least there
remains that evidence of God's love in me. Blessings

gene heath

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[shelley merritt]

wonderful! very encouraging. these words resound and continue to echo on within
my heart and mind because of the truth of which they remind me. thank you. god
bless you. all of your articles are thought-provoking and spur me on in my walk
with christ.

shelley merritt.

shelley merritt

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[Wilhelm Waldstein]

Very nice message indeed, but, alas, the realities in the world: in the Soviet
Union they tried to live a system that was truly Christian, share with everyone.
"To everyone according to his needs, from everyone according to his/her ability."
I acted very Christian-like as a young man and what did it get me? My Church-going
relatives did not respond in kind. Yes, if we all had this unselfishness in
us, the kingdom of God would be here today. But look at the facts. The selfish
and greedy love Christians who offer the other cheek, so they can help themselves
to the goodies of the earth. There has to be political action to look after
everyone. Look at this so-called Christian (they always call themselves a nation
under God) country, The USA, with their skidroads. Why! This is the big contradiction.
Nothing will ever change unless there is the political will of all of good
will to change things, and then Christ will have revealed Himself to us. Christianity
did not spread because the disciples were just saying nice words, but by going
out and face the world in a practical way. If the Hutterite communities for
instance just shut themselves away and do not get involved politically -- so
they do not get polluted by the world -- what influence do they have in the
world. Someone can build a nuclear powerhouse next to their farm; and would
they then look the other way. We need a political party that is truly Christian
and then act accordingly to achieve the end Christ would want: and that is,
a good and decent job for everyone that pays enough to live a decent and dignified
life, and then to prevent those that can never have enough from the greedy habits.
"More than enough is evil," the phrase E. Fritz Schumacher holds up as a banner
for a new humanity should become part of our battlecry. The production of essential
goods and services and economics as if people matter. That is what Dr. Fritz
Schumacher spells out in his books, Small is Beautiful and Good Work. Unless
we look at those ideas seriously, Christians or not, nothing will ever change
in the world. Here were the communists: free education, a guaranteed job, a
guarantied modest housing unit, free medical and instead of helping them to
succeed in this noble Christian endeavour, even the right wing Christians, so
called Christians, would have rather nuked them instead of recognizes the lofty
ideals they had.

That is all from Wilhelm Waldstein, son of Johann Judas, brought up on the
New Testament and the Katechism even during the Nazi times, as i was born in
1930. All my life i tried to live a Christian life, and what did it get me:
the greedy took advantage of me. Now if we had a system that would allow you
to be Christian without the greedy taking advantage of you, yes, then i would
say there may be hope. But in a dog eat dog system of the capitalism, there
is little room for Christ and his Christian ethic of living. I repeat: it is
politics that changes things and unless all Christians unite and indeed all
those from a great religion -- Islam too had these humanitarian concepts --
have one aim, to create a system that will create this new human being that
lives in modesty and frugal, this little planet can be written off; the signs
are there.

Wilhelm Waldstein

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[Alex]

This idea has been disturbing me for a few weeks. I am struggling to understand
it, but maybe part of the struggle is my reluctance/fear to accept it at a simple
level. I also wonder if there is something to be said not only for the identification
of Christ in another person, but also that Christ is revealed in the dynamic
of an encounter in which there is the recognition of humanity, care/compassion
and openness.

Alex

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[Dianne Aborn]

I was very much encouraged by this article! Thank you. Dorothy Day was a Catholic
Christian wasn't she? If a Catholic wanted to participate in community life
at a Bruderhof would you first ask them to renounce their Catholic faith? [answer:
No]

Dianne Aborn

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[Fred Rucker111]

I work with the poor everyday and I must admit that it is hard to see Christ in all of them but I am sure it is hard for some of them to see Christ in me! He is in us all no matter how dirty or unpleasant we may be.

Responding to http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/RoomForChrist.htm

[Jan]

As a young person, I had the privilege of working with Dorothy, trying to live this vision. There should be no mistake, this is a hard calling. Because we are not (yet) Christ, it is hard for us to meet Christ. The person who needs us is often not someone we want to know at all. But (s)he is nonetheless the only person in which we are able to know our Maker and Lover. My callings have taken me away from a life organized primarily around what Dorothy knew, but there is no better way to live and we are all called to some measure of meeting Jesus in our neighbors.

Responding to http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/RoomForChrist.htm

[Richard]

How difficult it is, cocooned in our middle-class comfort, to reach out and help others whom we fear might in some way threaten the little island of security we have created for ourselves and our families. But increasingly I have the feeling that we are all one family and that we do need to reach out and touch the lives of others around us, for our good as well as for theirs. Individually we can do very little about the big problems that beset the world, a simple act of love to a fellow human being in need - to Christ - is all most of us can do. And such acts make room for Christ in our hearts. May God bring us all a little nearer to others and to his Son this advent.

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[M. Chung]

I read your comments about "Room for Christ" and thought about my experiences living in a big city with its hosts of social problems especially homelessness. And while I agree in principle with your article thought how foolhardy it would be to invite total strangers into ones home. Having said that I am not as coldhearted as you may assume. Through my church I give to a local shelter - money, food, and clothing and at work I give through United Way. I have often thought of only giving at church but I remember that Jesus helped all - the Gentiles as well as the Jews, so I give to religious organizations and those that are not. In this way I think I invite or provide room for those in need as I walk the paths in a big city. I still question my actions and wonder if I can be compared to those who personally invite strangers into their home but continue to help in the way described above until I can come to the place where a more personal giving can be achieved.

Responding to http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/RoomForChrist.htm

[Divya Bijlwan]

Thats true. God is always with us, because he is within us. He will stay as long as we have faith and love for him in our hearts. We have no way of knowing if he was ever alive but what we know for sure is that he is still living and will continue to live forever. He existed even before the birth of Christ and has continued to live ever since. To know God exists we need to count our blessings and all the beautiful things God has put into the course of our lives.

Responding to http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/RoomForChrist.htm

[Bev]

All too often we wrongfully think of serving God on a "mission field" far from home. It is becoming fashionable to take a "mission focused vacation" to some far off place while ignoring those in need around us. I believe the true mission field is to serve Christ at home, in our own neighborhoods, and to minister to the invisible within our midsts. We all need to ponder the message of this article.

Responding to http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/RoomForChrist.htm

[Mary Ann Jeselson]

Day frames Matthew 25 for us in a way that pulls us right into the picture. She sees in a clearer way than most of us because she has taken Christ and his words to heart and by sharing her heart with us, we are inspired to also see Christ at our doors, in the streets, in the stores, on the subways and roadways. Thank you God for Dorothy Day.

Responding to http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/RoomForChrist.htm

[Salifu Sani]

I really enjoy the dig. I cant wait to see more.

Responding to http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/RoomForChrist.htm

[Brian]

"If everyone were holy and handsome, with alter Christus shining in neon lighting from them, it would be easy to see Christ in everyone." That is the crux of the problem. How to see Christ in those who are not "holy and handsome" (appropriate, suitable, adroit, generous, and/or beautiful). Could it be that one must see Christ in themselves first? Accept Christ in themselves first? Make room for Christ?

Responding to http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/RoomForChrist.htm

[Eunice]

A wonderful and so true article. A reminder that it doesnt matter if we are rich or poor, black, white, brown or yellow that Christ is in all of us and that we should treat everyboby with love and respect at all times not just during special holidays. I am printing this article to read from from time to time and also pass it on for others to read. Thank you.

Responding to http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/RoomForChrist.htm

[Tim O'Toole]

Dorothy Days article dredges up two memories. An ancient one: Edwin Arlington Robinsons poem MINIVER CHEEVY (who begrudged the present, and wished he lived in a glorious, imaginary past), and a brand new memory - a conversation I had with a modern-day pilgrim who asked why our Presbyterian Church did not stress the coming of Christ.

A timely question for the first Sunday of Advent - yet the stranger in our midst was convinced that Thessalonians held the key (ignoring that we "know not the day nor the hour"), and he insisted the signs were all there, the coming imminent.

While some look at Iraq and Palestine, and prophesy the end of days, our Churchs members will go about quietly, cooking meals for the nearby homeless shelter, donating clothing to troubled teens at a foster residence, offering time and financial support to our FOCUS food pantry and breakfast program.

We did not need Dorothy Day to remind us that Christ comes to us every day, in many guises. If only we could shut down the war in Iraq, turn our swords back into plowshares, and invest Americas time and talents in more worthy pursuits, like feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, schooling the uneducated, healing the sick and bringing justice to the oppressed.

Responding to http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/RoomForChrist.htm

[Jane Mullikin]

I was helping serve a pre-Thanksgiving dinner at the Horizon House where the homeless receive counseling and other types of assistance. One beautiful young woman softly remarked it would be the first holiday without her kids and she didnt know if shed make it. My heart went out to her and I told her Id pick her up at the shelter for Thanksgiving dinner.

She was greatly impacted at the dinner by the encouraging support of another woman who had been also lived her pain. At that dinner she met an "earth angel" who passed over the same night.

Still, I did not realize the importance of a simple moments heart tug until yesterday when she told the minister a kind person had picked her off the street and taken her for Thanksgiving dinner.

I am so grateful God gave me this opportunity to arrange the meeting between the women. And I am so painfully aware how easily I could have failed to respond to her plea.

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[Paula]

This is the most beautiful daily dig and the truest I have ever read. I believe it is Christ Himself speaking to our hearts and reminding us of the privilege of being called by Him to serve others. Everything we have belongs to Christ and therefore to our fellow man. This Christmas I will be giving all I have to share with others. This made me cry in its utter truth and beauty.

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[Taye]

It is an exellent message.Thank you.

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[Cheryl Smith]

When we think of all the things we dont do for our fellow man it is sad. I hope we as individual all over realize we dont know when it is our turn. I hope we take a look at ourselves....

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[Sister Grace Marie Mueller]

A wonderful reflection for this time of year. Anything by Dorothy Day is worth reflecting on....

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[Leath]

This article has indeed opened my eyes this morning, to the needs of the many and how I may help. Thank you for opening my heart and mind and spirit.

Responding to http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/RoomForChrist.htm

[Taiwo Ajai-Lycett]

This piece should be an ode to love - and a true exposition of what it is to be spiritual. For if we are made in His image, and know Him to be such a compassionate God, tolerant of our many foibles, perhaps it might then be clear to us that Christ is as much in our unfortunate neighbour as much as He dwells in us. I am particularly touched by this article because this has been the subject of my discussions with my students and staff over the last few weeks, as a result of my concern about inconsistent christian behaviour toward one another. Thank you for such a resonant, not to mention luminous look at the Holy Scriptures, reminding us about the eternal relevance of the Life of the man Jesus. Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. He rules, OK!

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[Mary E. Waldron]

These words of Dorothy Day are a true and timely reminder as we settle in for the pre-Christmas whirl. While it might not be possible for me to to open my home literally to "the poor" at Christmas--am I absolutely sure that it is not?--I can still remember to be especially generous to those organizations that work to provide food, clothing and shelter to Christ in my neighbor. A custom in our family is to do this in the family name and give a gift card to specifying the gift, to be read in the family circle when gifts are open. It helps to bring the Holy Family in from the cold stable to the warmth of the family hearth.

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[Rollin Coleman]

Truly a first rate meditation on how a Christian can live in Christ in these modern times, 2000 years removed from the Lords physical presence. True faith is not simply expressing belief , it is found in acts that the Christ Himself would perform.

Responding to http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/RoomForChrist.htm

[Edna Richardson]

What a beautiful reminder of my calling as a Christian. God has indeed blessed you with the gift of selecting just the right reading. Thank you.

Responding to http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/RoomForChrist.htm