3 actions to put Compassion vs. Consumption on display this Christmas!
Are you weary, holding a heavy who-ville sized Christmas to-do list in one hand and the heartbreak of Israel and Gaza in the other?
Me too. I want to stop the violence and at the same time hide out on my couch and drink tea.
I want both.
To change the world and to hide from it. Same is true for my kids. I want them to know they can change the world right where they live with acts of connection and compassion and I want to hide the violence of the world from them. I want them to be excited about getting a christmas present and excited to be able to give their time and money to getting a present FOR another teenager who is experiencing homelessness. I want both things to be true.
What if we put compassion on display this Christmas instead of only consumption?
We can practice putting good news and more peace on earth instead of being weighed down by obligations.
But why should we do it?
Science says doing acts of service make us happier and our communities stronger all year long.
Christian Scripture says our soul is fully alive when faith is working itself into actions. Jewish Scriptures call for Tikkun Olam, acts of kindness and service to repair the world. Muslims are called to Help one another in acts of piety and righteousness,(Quran 5:2). Indigenous wisdom says sharing what we have with others is an intrinsic part of the ethos of Indigenous people and way of survival.
The sacred + the science are holding hands in agreement and shouting at us through a megaphone with the very same Message! This is good news!
Here are 4 Actions you can take that put compassion and community care on display locally, nationally + Globally.
One action is how we put Love on display! Pick something that builds connection and meaning for you!
Compassion, Community Care + Christmas in action looks like:
1. Helping kids stay connected to their incarcerated parent by buying a gift and delivering a note on their behalf. It’s also a way to let the solo parent know they are not alone, their kids matter and their community has their back. Incarceration impacts kids and we can help families stay intact, connected and supported through it. Join The Waging Peace Project, we are signed up to make sure 10 local kids stay connected this Christmas. Donate towards their gifts (venmo @d-oestreich) or sign up at The Prison Fellowship yourself!
2. Send a Christmas card to someone on Death Row in Alabama. We are all more than the worst thing we’ve done and caring for those living on death row is how we continue to care for them, their kids and build a community that believes we can execute justice without executing people.
Here is the list that Esther from Project Hope sent out and her kind words, “here is our Christmas card list: Thank you to all who were so kind as to respond. And speaking of Christmas cards, at our meeting today we spent some time writing ours!”
Bonus: send a birthday card to my penpal Jessie!
The general address for all inmates is:
Name +Z number
Holman Unit 3700, + cell number
Atmore, Alabama 36503-3700
Personal information:
Kenneth Smith, Z 512, L-59
Jeff Rieber, Z 540, K-23
Carey Grayson, Z 598, M-37
Anthony Tyson Z 641, M-40
Nicholas Acklin, Z 648, L-57
Anthony Boyd, Z 578, L-40
Mark Jenkins Z-527 , L-41
Bart Johnson Z 778, M-3
Jeffery Lee Z 674, L-12
Marcus Williams Z 656, M-18
Joseph Wilson Z 640, M-29
Jesse Phillips Z 785, M-13 …Bonus, his birthday is Dec 15th! Send a card or bday wish!
Tony Barksdale Z 611, M-5
Sherman Collins Z 799, L-48
Earl McGahee Z 466, L-24
Nicholas Smith Z 790, L-8
Antonio Jones Z706, L-54
Benjamin Young Z 809, K-31
We thank you! Esther
3. Help teens who are experiencing homelessness this Christmas by buying a gift for the Loaves and Fishes holiday party this Saturday. Celebrating together is how we build relationships and care for each other. During homeless moments and all the regular moments after. Make the party time awesome! This is a local Catholic Worker community that has 4 houses all staffed around the clock by live in volunteers. Hannah House does foster care and a community garden, Olive Branch offers advocacy and hospitality for women, kids and families. Dorothy Day house offers shelter for men. Bread and Roses is where volunteers live. Olive Branch is near and dear to my heart. It’s where I started the tradition of taco tuesdays and roped my kids into cooking and being in this community for the past 5 years. It’s filled my bucket with hope, joy and connection again and again. I am so grateful for them.
4. Help provide food, water and emergency medical care to kids in Gaza through The Middle East Childrens Alliance. I donated. They are trustworthy and doing good work on the ground. Donate here.
We can support bringing Israeli hostages home and their families with Women Wage Peace. They have a plan!
I want to donate, how do I do that?
Venmo The Waging Peace Project @d-Oestreich and leave in the note if it’s for a gift for a teenager whose experiencing homelessness or a child whose parent is incarcerated.
We don’t have to leave this world as weary as it is today. We don’t have to stay as weary as we feel friends. Waging peace is the antidote to despair. It’s how we reclaim our power to take one action today that lights a candle in the darkness . Thank you for believing in the power of light to overcome the darkness.
May mercy find you when your heart is ready to wave the white flag,
May goodness chase after you when hopelessness is wrapped around you,
May Peace be catching your weary eye and Joy be a surprise on your doorstep.