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A mother rocking a cradle in Bethlehem is the childhood picture we have in our minds of Christmas. Little girls still want to be Mary in the Christmas program. The reality of it all is a bit more distressing and depressing. The stable and the unaccompanied birth except for Joseph, Luther calls “pitiful”. He wrote, “But the birth itself is still more pitiful. There was no one to take pity on this young wife who was for the first time to give birth to a child; no one to take to heart her condition that she, a stranger, did not have the least thing a mother needs in a birth-night. There she is without any preparation, without either light or fire, alone in the darkness, without any one offering her service as is customary for women to do at such times. Every thing is in commotion in the inn, there is a swarming of guests from all parts of the country, no one thinks of this poor woman. It is also possible that she did not expect the event so soon, else she would probably have remained at Nazareth.”
Mothers around the world rock cradles and hold their babies and hope for them the best. Sometimes their situations are pitiful. Sometimes situations we think are pitiful really are not at all. But mothers, unless they are truncated in some way seem to be universal in their care for their children. They do all they can for them and want the same things. Health and peace and a good education and a happy life are some of the foundational things that all moms want for their children.
Project 24 helped many children before some issues arose to cause problems. We are back on track again assisting children to get a Christian education and do so in a safe place. If the mothers are in the picture I am sure that they appreciate the efforts of brothers and sisters from around the world who care. If the mothers of these children are no longer around the children are at least aware that they have Christian neighbors that they may never meet this side of eternity who care for them. Supporters of Project 24 hear the words of Luther in his Christmas sermon –
If Christ has now thus become your own, and you have by such faith been cleansed through him and have received your inheritance without any personal merit, but alone through the love of God who gives to you as your own the treasure and work of his Son; it follows that you will do good works by doing to your neighbor as Christ has done to you. Here good works are their own teacher. What are the good works of
Christ? Is it not true that they are good because they have been done for your benefit, for God’s sake, who commanded him to do the works in your behalf? In this then Christ was obedient to the Father, in that he loved and served us. If you want to help Project 24 you can send a gift to the North Dakota District LCMS PO Box 9029
Fargo, ND 58106-9029
or the Minnesota North District Office P.O. Box 604 Brainerd, MN 56401
Please put Project 24 in the memo line of your check.
