When Jesus Moved Into Our Hood

By Father David Madsen
On a quiet desert street, Christmas lights flicker against the night sky. Children’s laughter drifts from a nearby playground, and neighbors gather around tables laden with burgers and pie. It is here, in the ordinary rhythms of our neighborhoods, that the extraordinary story of Christmas unfolds.
As The Message translation of John’s Gospel proclaims: “The Word was made flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.” Jesus is not a distant abstraction. It is God choosing to dwell among us, right here, in our homes, our communities, even in the desert landscapes of Borrego Springs.
Think of your own neighborhood: the street corners where friends meet, the community gatherings that knit strangers into friends, the quiet resilience of those working for affordable housing or caring for the weary. Just as Christ entered Bethlehem, he enters our neighborhoods today, bringing light and love into the places we call home.
Some marvel at God’s transcendent power, the Creator who brings something out of nothing. Yet what moves me most is God’s love: a love that brings Christ next door, into our lives, into our hearts. That love is the true gift of Christmas.
We will be moving soon into the Twelve Days of Christmas, awaiting Epiphany. The nativity story lingers, reminding us that we are part of God’s eternal, yet present, plan. As the New Year dawns, we look forward with hope, trusting that God continues to make all things new.
The Word became flesh and still comes to us. God has not left us alone. In Christ, we find meaning, direction, and joy. Truly, God has moved into the neighborhood, turning ordinary streets into holy ground, and ordinary amazingly extraordinary.
So as we step into this new year, let us look for Christ not in distant heavens, but next door. Let us welcome him by welcoming one another, seeing every neighbor as part of God’s dwelling place. For when Christ moves into the neighborhood, love becomes the language of our “HOOD”.




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