Wednesday, December 3, 2003
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Wednesday, December 3, 2003 |
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Don’t forget the ‘least’ in your Christmas gifts By JOHN HATCHER How can the Christian faith reclaim Christmas? I think it’s obvious that Christmas bears barely a semblance of its original self. Commercial interests have taken Christmas and mined it for its every monetary value. It’s the number one shopping season. Many merchandisers absolutely depend upon Christmas to make their budget for the year. They make it at Christmas or go bust. Funny isn’t it? A day devoted to remembering the birth of the Messiah has evolved — just in the last one hundred years — into a whole season of commercial enterprise. Before the frost is on the pumpkin in North America, Christmas displays are already out. And the whole aim of it all is to get you to buy, buy, buy. Buy a merry Christmas. Buy a white Christmas by taking your family to the snow covered mountains. With the right amount of money, you can buy any kind of Christmas you wish. This “buying” theme of Christmas has created a sense of “oh no, not another Christmas” as we begin asking ourselves, “What am I going to buy the wife, the kids, the whomever?” Christmas becomes a chore as we labor over gift lists, deciding what we can afford to give the varying levels of important people in our lives. You wouldn’t dream of giving that leftover fruitcake from last year to your parents for Christmas, but it seems to be the perfect gift for the postal carrier. We groan over buying something for people who have everything. You get the idea. Now, let’s get back to the beginning of Christmas. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Angels sang at his birth. Shepherds came and rejoiced to see him. And over time, some important men from the east came and presented him valuable gifts. The idea evolved that at the birth of people, you give gifts to that one who has been born. We still do it today. When little Mary is born, family and friends give gifts. Not to one another, but to Mary. How in the world did we get to the point that because we remember the birth of Jesus, we give gifts to one another? I, for one, love to receive gifts — especially when given with love. But, why should I get a gift when it Jesus‚ birthday we are celebrating? Good question. Those people who research such things tell us that by giving gifts to one another, we are observing in some way the birth of Jesus. Hello! During his earthly ministry, Jesus indicated that we could minister to him or give unto him by giving to or ministering to the “least” of earth’s people. He indicated the least included hungry people, prisoners, the sick, and the homeless (stranger). Jesus said, “In that you ministered unto the least of these, you ministered unto me.” Now, get that. You and I can give a present to Jesus this Christmas and begin to reclaim the meaning of his birthday by giving gifts to the “least.” So, make a list. Who are the “least” in your scheme of life? To whom do you not give the time of day? To whom can you give this year and they would not be able to give back? The least. Make a list. I am not going completely radical on you. Go ahead and give those expensive gifts to the important people on your list. Just don’t leave out some folks who qualify as “least.” John Hatcher is pastor of Outreach
International Center, 1091 South Jeff Davis Drive, Fayetteville, Georgia
30215. 770-719-0303.
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