The Champion of the underdog

“He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with nothing.” Lk 1:53 NCV

Norman Vincent Peale tells of a man and his son who were Christmas shopping when a homeless man approached them. The boy dismissed the old man as another freeloader looking for a handout, but the father saw him as a fellow human being. Pressing some money into his son’s hand, he encouraged him to give it “in the spirit of Christmas.” Reluctantly, the boy complied. Immediately, the beggar stood taller, his face took on character, and his eyes twinkled. The boy was startled at the dramatic change as the old man touched his arm, thanked him, and said, “God bless you.” That Christmas, the boy learned a lesson that would stay with him for life. He realized that dignity rests in the soul of every human being regardless of their appearance. And Dr. Peale would know because he was that boy. Mary said, “He has filled the hungry with good things but…sent the rich away empty” (NIV). One author writes: “As I read the birth stories about Jesus I cannot help but conclude that though the world may be tilted toward the rich and powerful, God is tilted toward the underdog. I wince…as I write the word, especially in connection with Jesus. It’s a crude word, probably derived from dogfighting and applied…to predictable losers and victims of injustice.” The message of Christmas is this: No matter how far you have fallen or how hopeless your situation may seem, “the Champion of the underdog” is on your side to give your life dignity, help you pick yourself up, and make a fresh start.

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