Advent Reflection: The Manger or the Mall?

Anticipating the birth of a new baby is an exciting experience that involves a busy time of preparation. We await with longing to hold a “bundle of joy and love” in our arms and in our heart. Can we feel this same way about Jesus? In the midst of wrapping up gifts, it’s easy to be distracted by the hustle and bustle of the season.  How do we prepare for the coming of baby Christ at Christmas? In the Advent month leading up to Christmas, will you focus on “the manger” or “the mall”?

It is often easy to forget the significance of Jesus’ birth. As the long-awaited Messiah, he came to give hope, peace, and joy to the world, especially to the poor and those who are oppressed. This rings true, even for today -- Let us remember, while most of us enjoy the privilege of basic comforts, there are many in our local community, and around the world, who are less fortunate. When we focus on “the mall”, our Advent time prioritizes spending money, navigating crowded  parking lots, waiting in busy line-ups, and shopping for the best deals. We often forget the labourers who have worked to grow, harvest, and/or produce, transport, and sell the items we buy. Take a moment to consider them now.

Migrant workers in Canada, and many labourers in the Global South, work in conditions that are unjust and inhumane. Some of these disturbing conditions include excessive long work hours with no overtime pay (e.g. over 16 hour days), exceedingly low wages (that can barely pay

for food, rent and transportation), sexual harassment and abuse, and health risks (e.g.

unsanitary drinking water, poor ventilation, malfunctioning equipment, being locked in a building with no escape when a fire breaks out, working in excessive cold or hot temperatures, etc.)

While visiting communities here, or working on projects abroad, I have heard countless stories of injustice. Migrant workers who live in run-down housing with over 20 others, dealing with bed bugs, mice and cockroaches.  Or overseas, when I was in Nicaragua researching community organizations, I recall hearing the story of a pregnant woman who was working in a factory and began to experience pain.  She was told if she left to see a doctor, she would lose her job. They could not afford any delay in production to keep up with the high demand of retailers. She, along with her baby, died a few hours later, because she could not risk losing the only income for her family. There, in that story, lies the image of mother Mary and baby Jesus, crucified for the sake of consumerism and profit.

Children as young as five years old work in cobalt mines to supply precious metals for our cell phones and electronics, or are slaves on fishing boats and palm oil plantations used to produce chocolate and other popular foods. Many people are forced into labour on cotton fields or desperately work in sweatshops to meet the demand for fast, cheap fashion. Those working on plantations to bring coffee, tea, sugar and other bounty to our tables can barely feed their own families. Finally, activists and land defenders who speak out and demand basic rights are murdered.

In a world where modern slavery is alive and well, we welcome Jesus as the light of the world to dispel the darkness. We focus on “the manger” rather than “the mall” to acknowledge the call for the birth of a new life; a new awakening that proclaims these injustices as unacceptable. 

We choose “the manger” over “the mall” by committing ourselves to bring hope and love to those who are impacted by our purchasing decisions and actions.

As we close off this Jubilee year, know that you can make a difference!  You need only look at your power as a consumer and as a voter.

As a consumer, consider buying food, clothing, and other products that are made

under ethical and environmental working conditions while supporting communities in the Global South. Learn more at Fair Trade Canada and check out the article, 19 Fashion Brands From Canada Making Moves in Sustainability.

As a voter, advocate for policies and legislation that hold companies accountable

for their operations to ban forms of modern slavery and human rights abuses.

Learn more about the Amnesty International campaign, Canada Must Stop Abuses of Migrant Workers and sign the petition demanding the use of open work permits to prevent further exploitation.

Contact your MP and ask them to advocate for MHREDD legislation - mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence. This would hold companies responsible for human rights and environmental abuses, not only in Canada, but also in communities abroad.  See the campaigns from Development & Peace and the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability.

Finally, support the ecumenical Jubilee campaign, Turn Debt into Hope.  Today, 3.4 billion people live in countries that spend more on debt payments than on health or education. Sign the petition asking global leaders to end the debt crises and restructure the unjust ways loans are given.

This Advent season, let’s give others the love, peace, and joy of Jesus’ birth by

supporting all friends in need, here and in the Global South – we are all born in Christ’s image and deserve the Good News. Let us wrap up this Jubilee year, as Pilgrims of Hope, journeying in solidarity with our prayers, thoughts and actions!

Original reflection written by Audrey Ferrer and readapted for this Advent 2025.

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