‘Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox: that the birth of a homeless person should be celebrated in every home’.
I was surprised to come across this Chesterton quote in a shopping centre in the heart of São Paulo, on Paulista Avenue, otherwise known as the financial centre of Brazil. It’s a profound paradox of a street, where the most important financial activities in the country take place inside buildings that seem to touch the sky, whilst outside the ground is lined with homeless people with not a penny to their name. This paradox Chesterton describes goes beyond the epidemic of homelessness, to the global refugee crisis. References to Jesus’ status as a refugee during his childhood on the run from King Herod are common in the Christmas period. However, as we draw towards the end of January (already?!), it’s essential we remember that this is an ongoing reality which remains urgent all year round.
unchainedjourneys 