To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. Col. 1:27-28

A young man from our local church spoke with us about his experiences in an impoverished indigenous tribal community. He spent a week on a medical mission. The tribe belongs to a region in the north of Brazil close to the Amazon Basin. The situation was so dire that it broke his heart. He had never seen a people who were so neglected and marginalized. Some of the basic medical services were not available to them. Consequently, children suffered serious side effects from diseases which could have been easily treated if dealt with earlier. He felt devastated when he left. On one hand, he sensed a great compassion for the people. At the same time, he was relieved. He wasn’t sure if he could endure serving in an environment where everything seemed bleak and hopeless. He felt a little torn by his conflicting attitude. He is a very compassionate person and has a heart for those who suffer. He thought maybe he wasn’t cut for this kind of work. This might be true but he will never know. He was only there for a short period. There wasn’t time for him to see beyond the problems to appreciate the people. God is not a God of problems but He is a Shepherd of the people. He lives in the hearts of the people. If we only see problems, then we will never see the hope which dwells in their hearts despite the endless problems. However, hope is not easily seen. It hides in the hearts of the people. We need time to discover its presence.

As far as problem solving is concerned, Jesus did not solve the problems in the society where he was born. When He died, the Roman Empire continued its brutal occupation and even intensified their brutality after his death. The religious leaders went from bad to worse. Jesus’ words and presence among them did not make things any better. In many ways, Society did not change after three years of Jesus’ ministry. However, something did change drastically in the hearts of the common people who had spent centuries wandering around without a loving Shepherd. Hope flourished. It did not make their lives easier or more comfortable. Hope did not, as some Marxists claim, soothe the people into passivity. To the contrary, it gave them the courage to be active and present. The people saw in Jesus a way to live their lives that freed them from the oppressive nature of this fallen world. They saw abundant life was possible despite the circumstances and situations assailing them. It is not wishful thinking as critics would say. In fact, it is wishful thinking to think any system or ideology of this world can give us abundant life. These are nothing but illusions. Jesus came to give us something real. However, it cannot be seen except through faith. Without Faith, we only see problems.

There is a kind of Christianity which is based solely on problem solving. It influences how its followers view the life and ministry of Jesus. They limit His ministry to problem solving. They say, “He came to die for our sins and now we have access to heaven.” He has given us the ticket to heaven and Jesus has no more significant role in our lives. His words and teachings are no longer relevant because we now have the “ticket”. Perhaps, no one would admit that this is true of their spirituality. However, we are seeing this kind of Christianity being manifested more and more today. Jesus seems to lose His relevance to this kind of Christianity because the problem has been solved.

We see this perverted version of the “gospel” being preached in the streets especially to our homeless youth. People tell them that they need to accept Jesus and they will get a free ticket to heaven. Our young people do it. After all, who doesn’t want to go to heaven. They hold onto this idea or “ticket” and endure life until the moment they die. However, this is not the message of the gospel. Jesus said,

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

Our young people were robbed of many things. The thief had stolen their childhood. He murdered their family life. He destroyed their chances for a better future. I could spend a lot of time unpacking these and go into all the problems which the thief has caused in their lives. Then, I would be talking more about the thief. The problems are there but Jesus rises above the problems. He is not a magician who removes every thing with a wave of His hand. However, He is the Lord who calmed the storm with a word. All these problems are storms threatening the very existence of our homeless youth. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is that He has overcome the storm. It cannot hinder them from having an abundant life.

St Paul tells us,

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17

I have mentioned many times before the countless street preachers where the homeless youth stay during the day. The “gospel” of this preachers hardly awakens the faith of our homeless people. The “gospel” cannot be reduced to mere words. Jesus came into this world and participated in the lives of the people. He was a carpenter longer than he was a itinerant preacher. He was a son longer than he was a miracle worker. He was a friend to many before He was baptized and began His ministry. Jesus spent many years allowing the gospel speak through His Life to those around Him. His Life awakened the faith of those who came into contact with Him.

Our homeless youth cannot hear the gospel because they have experienced many years listening to voices which reject and condemn them. They have years of listening to lies about their personal identity. Their faith has been choked and smothered by these lies. This is not true for just our homeless children. It is true for almost everyone from all walks of Life. However, faith comes from God and nothing from God can be destroyed. This faith is still present in their souls and, through grace, it can always been awakened. However, they need to hear the gospel. The only way they can perk up their spiritual ears and listen to the gospel is through Love. Only Love is able to overcome this barrier of lies and deceit thrown at them by this broken world.

We just got done with Christmas. The essential message of the season was God chose to be with us. He participated in our Lives to reveal His Love. This is how we love others for the sake of the gospel. This is how we can see the faith awaken in the hearts of the people. We will read in the gospels that each time people were healed, Jesus reminded that it was their faith that healed them. This faith was a response to God’s Love present in Jesus. However, without having direct contact with the palpable Love of God, the web of lies that this broken world has spun cannot be overcome. Love is something which engages people in their reality. Love participates in the Life of the people. Without Love, people won’t be able to sense the hope found in the gospel.

Just before Christmas, I went to a Catholic Church with one of our homeless youth. Perhaps those who have accompanied me through our reflections will remember him. He is Bruno. He asked me to go to church to light a candle for his dear friend, Wanderson. We were the only ones at the place. I don’t know what you call such places in the sanctuary. It is a special room dedicated for people to light candles of prayer for the deceased. Anyway, when we lit the candle, Bruno asked me to say a prayer and then he would say one too. I prayed and Bruno prayed a long prayer, thanking God for Wanderson as well as for His life and his friendship with us. It seems like a simple thing. Bruno never has been religious. We have known him for 12 years. He never was interested in God. Now, he garnered the courage to address God in prayer but he wanted me to be with him. His faith has been awakened. It was a slow process but he needed the time to overcome all the lies fed to him through the years. Perhaps the world will never see how this young man has grown in his faith. Perhaps they will never seen him beyond his problems. We are blessed to see his faith grow over the years. For many, his prayer may not have been such a big deal. For us, it is proof of the growing hope. Even though as Bruno grows older, his chances of living a life outside homelessness grows slim. There is hope that is springing up in him. This hope gives him the confidence that God’s love can give the thing he desires most in this life; the desire to be loved unconditionally.