Letters from Leo — the American Pope & US Politics

Letters from Leo — the American Pope & US Politics

When God Becomes Small, the Tyrants Should Worry

The shepherd doesn’t stay above the flock — he enters the mess. That’s good news for the broken, and bad news for the powerful.

Christopher Hale's avatar
Christopher Hale
Dec 09, 2025
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Letters from Leo offers daily Advent reflections each morning through Christmas exclusively for paid subscribers, exploring what it means to follow Jesus in American civic and political life. I hope you’ll journey with me as we welcome the light of Christ into every corner of our lives this season.

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“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated.” (Isaiah 40:1-2)

Today’s Readings

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the familiar story of the shepherd who abandons the ninety nine sheep in search of the one lost one.

During this second week of Advent, as we prepare for Jesus’ coming into human history, this story offers a glimpse of what it means to have God become flesh among us.

God is not a distant ruler but a shepherd who cares for each of us, especially those who have strayed or feel forgotten.

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