The Christmas season is here with us once again, this time albeit with a lot of uncertainty around the corona virus pandemic that has plagued the world for a major part of this year. Many had hoped that the pandemic would have gone away by Christmas, pushed a lot of plans to ‘after corona,’ but there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Instead we seem to be getting into this festive season with the figures of those affected rising.

What does this mean for Christmas?

Christmases past have been marked with travels, festivities and time spent with loved ones as we mark the end of one year, and prepare to begin another.  This year, we may have to scale down on contacts and celebrations with other people as the world tries to control the spread of the virus. Despite all these, we must welcome the Child Jesus among us and into our hearts.  He is not looking for a clean, sanitized place to be born into; but rather a world that he is coming to save, and heal.

In this issue of The Seed we bring you a feature from Christ the King Parish that is located right in the middle of the Kibera slum in Nairobi, where a small gesture of a packet of milk and two loaves of bread from a young man, led to the establishment of a ‘Pot of Love’ that has ensured those most affected by the pandemic in the community do not go hungry.

Though they all seemed to be in need as the effects of the pandemic hit, the parishioners came together, each putting the little they could spare into the pot: a packet of milk, a match box, a kilo of maize meal, a little sugar and before long the pot filled up enough to support those who were in dire need.  Interestingly, that pot has never ran dry, and the people too have realized that they are not too poor to give.

This reminds us of Pope John Paul II’s famous quote, “Nobody is so poor he has nothing to give, and nobody is so rich he has nothing to receive.”  It is in small gestures that we truly touch the lives of our fellow human being.

Also note that the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Commission for Mission will be marking the World Day of Vocations (Vocations Sunday) on December 13, 2020 since it couldn’t be celebrated on May 3 2020 due to the ban on religious gatherings in order to control the spread of the coronavirus.

As we go into this festive season, keep your hearts open to receive Christ. The Seed family wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2021.