Episode 247: Kelley Nikondeha

You know, when you think about the Christmas story - the birth of Jesus, the angels, the shepherds, the wise men - it's easy to get caught up in the sentimentality of it all. The cozy nativity scene, the baby in the manger, the promise of peace on earth. But what if I told you that the real story of Jesus's birth is much grittier, much more rooted in the harsh realities of human suffering and oppression? That's the perspective Kelley Nikondeha brings to the table. Kelley is the author of a book called "The First Advent in Palestine," and as the title suggests, she's looking at the Advent narrative through a very different lens - one shaped by her own experiences and the people she’s met along the way. You see, Kelley is married to someone from Burundi, which has its own long history of colonization and trauma. And when she looks at the story of Jesus's birth, she doesn't just see the tender moments - she sees the generational pain and political upheaval that formed the backdrop for that pivotal event. It's a powerful reframing of a story we think we know so well. Because the truth is, the world Jesus was born into was a world of oppression, a world where the powerful trampled on the weak. And Kelley helps us understand how that context shaped the very nature of Jesus's mission and ministry. This is a conversation that's going to challenge the way you think about Advent and the Christmas story. It's going to ask you to look beyond the sentimental trappings and really grapple with the gritty realities of human suffering. But in doing so, it just might open your eyes to a deeper, richer understanding of the hope that Jesus brought into the world. Join us as we enter Advent.

Kelley Nikondeha is a liberation theologian and feminist, author and development practitioner. Authored Adopted: The Sacrament of Belonging in a Fractured World, Defiant: What the Women of Exodus Teach Us about Freedom, and The First Advent in Palestine.

Kelley's Recommendation:
The Message