12/26/2024
As I celebrate the morning of Christmas, I remember the smell of mom’s roast that she would garnish with potatoes and green beans. It was a lot of food for the three of us, for there was only mom, dad, and their only adopted child - me.
Although I have good memories during this chilly time of the year in Southern Indiana, I often wondered about the confusing decor of the living room. An artificial tree was illuminated with a floor lamp that rotated with primary colors. A nearby wooden nativity scene displayed baby Jesus lying in a manger accompanied by his parents, a shepard boy, a donkey, and three bearded men with robes . A stenciled Santa and his reindeer would fly across our sofa mirror on a sleigh. The stairwell would be hung with dozens of holiday cards featuring everything from snowy scenes to Mary and Joseph admiring their newborn son.
If there is a single ingredient I can reconcile from the chaos of Christmas, it seems to be the principle of giving. Of course we have transformed this holiday into a retail event that pumps sales throughout our economy. It has been further twisted into the concept of what I call, “I give you-you give me.”
As I gaze at the presents that await to be opened at the base of our tree, I am thankful the author of the Book of Matthew inserted a story about Magi who journeyed to bring gifts to a newborn child. In the narrative, they gave gifts without expecting anything in return. Neither were the gifts wrapped in fancy paper.
Even if the Magi arrived empty-handed, they still fulfilled the principle of giving by offering their time, thoughts, and kind words. In the big picture of our lives, aren’t these gifts much more valuable than gold, frankincense or myrrh?
Whatever your beliefs, I hope everyone will appreciate this one principle that benefits the entire world- shining our light, showing compassion to all, and giving without expecting return.
Diamond Mike Watson.
