Oh Come, Let Us Ignore Him

'Tis the season for largely ignoring Jesus.

The first major ice storm made its way through most of the United States last night, and another one is coming. Millions of people are without power. Some, because the power lines went down.

And some, because they have nowhere to go, and no one really cares.

Does the phrase, "the least of these" ring a bell?

Sure, many of the homeless are there because they made really, really bad decisions in life, for drugs or alcohol or crime.

The least of these.

Many are there because of mental illness.

The least of these.

Many are there because of bad luck - especially inj the recent recession.

The least of these.

Relief organizations do their best. Do you give money to the Salvation Army, when you see their representatives standing in the cold, ringing a bell?

The government doesn't do enough. We pay taxes that are supposed to benefit all of us. I fail to see how a presidential golfing vacation benefits all of us. I fail to see how congressional offices with twelve-foot ceiling benefit all of us.

We can do something. We can give money, and even our time, to organizations that help.

We can vote for candidates who want to make sure that no American freezes to death on our streets. But when was the last time you heard a candidate put that on his or her platform?

But in the end, we can't shift the responsibility. The smallest and most damaged souls in our environs are still God's children, and our brothers and sisters. Ours. It's up to us.

So many of us look to the old movie, "It's a Wonderful Life" as symbolic of Christmas, and of the spirit of community. The townspeople rally to help George in his hour of darkness.

Who are you rallying to help?