White Helmets
In the Christian tradition, Christmas signifies God's presence with humanity. Through Jesus, God comes to us through the vulnerability of a child in a cave, outside of a forgotten town. There was no room for his presence the night he was born, and in many ways, our world still resists the radically peaceful presence of Jesus. Immanuel, God-With-Us.
This Christmas, we are inviting everyone to celebrate God-With-US and embody Christ's presence by giving to an organization that aids vulnerable people and children who live just a few hundred miles from that stable of Jesus' birth.
On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Mission Hills Christian Church, all financial gifts will go directly to the White Helmets, an organization on the front lines helping the weary and wounded in Aleppo, Syria. In this war-torn area, these unarmed volunteers risk their lives to help anyone in need, regardless of religion or politics. They are sometimes the only hope for innocents trapped under the rubble. White Helmet volunteers have saved more than 76,000 lives and this number is growing daily. Many of the White Helmets have paid the ultimate price–156 have been killed while saving others. The White Helmets display radical, self-offering love every day through the work they do, and I cannot imagine a more appropriate Christmas gift to than to support peace through their rescue efforts in Aleppo. Jesus' name translates "the one who saves." This Christmas, let's support those who are saving lives every day.
If you cannot make our Christmas Eve or Christmas Day service, consider giving what are able this season, either via our website (missionhillsla.com/give) or directly to the White Helmets at https://peoplesmillion.whitehelmets.org/a…/peoples-million/…. Anything you give, however small, goes toward supplying our world with a little more peace and joy and healing.
Thank you for love and light. May grace and peace be with you this week and in the new year.
Ryan
The White Helmets are everyday heroes saving lives on humanity's front line. Stand with them on the side of life. https://www.whitehelmets.org
