Last Christmastide the angel came at six fifteen. While volunteers began to poke the guests awake, collect the mats, and fix the coffee for the breakfast line, the smoke rose from first cigarettes, and one large man groaned off the floor, breath harsh, a map of beet- red lines high on his cheeks”he strains but can not bend enough to reach his feet.
The angel teaches art design, his hair is gray, he’s fifty odd. Straightway he goes down on his knees, does not recoil from hot dry skin, begins to tug one of a pair of stained white socks around those death-puffed toes and nonchalantly smiles and says “fear not.”
You have a decision to make: double or nothing.
For this week only, a generous supporter has offered to fully match all new and increased donations to First Things up to $60,000.
In other words, your gift of $50 unlocks $100 for First Things, your gift of $100 unlocks $200, and so on, up to a total of $120,000. But if you don’t give, nothing.
So what will it be, dear reader: double, or nothing?
Make your year-end gift go twice as far for First Things by giving now.
