bearing gifts, we traverse afar

OK, so we're all in the season of buying. You know what I mean: the Christmas spirit has us all running around trying to find the perfect gift for all of our friends and loved ones. Although I mostly enjoy finding gifts for others, it is apparent to me that there are many who do not enjoy the holiday experience. And to be truthful, I must confess that these crabapples are the primary reason why I would rather stay at home than to brave the shopping malls and department stores.

And the difficulty in our society is that the Christmas gift-giving has been interwoven into our culture. This is easily recognizable in that age old tradition of buying gifts for coworkers, clients, distant cousins, and other folks you never interact with throughout the year. This, I believe, is the foundation of our giving woes. While it is a good thing to make our close friends and family happy, we really don't care a whole lot about the rest of them. Perhaps this is why we quickly grab the first item we can find and end up giving some of the worst gifts ever.

C. S. Lewis wrote: "Things are given as presents which no mortal ever bought for himself - gaudy and useless gadgets, 'novelties' because no one was ever fool enough to make their like before." *

Then there are those who force gift-giving simply by presenting you with a gift. The modern rule here is that the act of receiving a gift means that one owes a gift in return. I guess it is a legalized blackmail.

How did all of this get started? Where did the absurdity begin?

The roots of all of this hustle and bustle trace back to Jesus - God's gift. Now, this is often referred to in corny fashion on some cheesy Christmas card, a holiday pencil topper, or one of those specialized shopping bags, but it is indeed true.

The difference is that he gave freely, not grumbling or complaining. He gave an incredibly great gift, not some spur-of-the-moment, infomercial product. He gave it to those closest to his heart, even though he might not hear from them as much as he'd like. And his giving demands nothing in return.

Although. . .it would be nice.


*C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970), 305.