An Audacious Advent: Setting the Tableનમૂનો

Going to the Margins

In Exodus 3, God speaks to Moses from a burning bush: “I have seen the misery of my people... I have heard them crying... and I am sending you.” Similarly, in Matthew 14, Jesus sees the crowds, is moved with compassion, and feeds them. In both stories, we see a God who doesn't just feel—He acts.

We are invited to do the same.

For 12 years, my family tried everything to help my brother Terry as he battled mental illness and homelessness. One day, we got the call no one wants: “We found Terry.” His body had been in the Los Angeles morgue for 3 weeks—unclaimed, unnamed. He became part of the statistics we often ignore.

But numbers have names.
Names have stories.

I’ve since spent over two decades in urban ministry—sitting with the hurting, showing up for the addicted, walking alongside the marginalized. I’ve learned that compassion isn’t just tears. It’s presence. It’s proximity. It’s getting gritty.

Jesus didn’t stay in comfort zones. He crossed barriers, met people in their pain, and brought restoration. He calls us to do the same.

This season, we’re invited to a holy rebellion—against fear, comfort, and distance. It means stepping into hard places with empathy and courage, not with savior complexes but with listening hearts and steady presence. And it requires us to ask some hard questions:

1. Do I lead with relationship? Real change starts with trust. Learn names. Hear stories. Show up.
2. Do I assume I know what people need? Compassion requires humility. Let proximity guide your understanding, not assumptions.
3. Can I be consistent? Love that lasts shows up again and again. Long-term change requires long-term commitment.

Jesus came to restore—not just individuals, but systems, communities, and hearts. If we want to follow Him this Advent, we must stop settling for sideline sympathy and start rolling up our sleeves.

Advent Invitation:
Look for one local injustice that breaks your heart. Instead of donating and stepping away, choose to engage. Find a local organization to serve with regularly this next year. Learn names. Build trust. Ask how you can help beyond the holidays. Let your compassion move from sentiment to sweat.

Because this is what Advent is about: Hope, embodied. Love, lived. Justice, pursued.

Let’s take a step toward restoring the world—one audacious act at a time.

Written by: Joy Flores

Thank you for joining us for An Audacious Advent: Setting the Table. We hope these five days have encouraged you to slow down, look deeper, and approach this Advent season with a renewed sense of wonder and intentionality. As you make room for others at your table—and in your heart—may you continue to reflect the heart of Jesus, who invites all to come and belong.

If this journey has inspired you, we invite you to continue with our sister plan, An Audacious Advent: Reimagining the Heart of Advent, available now in the Women Speakers Collective plan library. Together, let’s keep exploring what it means to live with bold faith, radical love, and an inclusive heart this Christmas season and beyond.