Abundant Giving

Thank you for joining me in this journey!  I have heard many of you tell me that this invitation to push back against overspending and overconsumption during Advent deeply resonates within you.  Rather than reaching the end of the Advent season with an aching emptiness, sifting through piles of things we don’t need and may never use, let us find whatever it is our soul longs for this time of year.

Something deep inside me remembers that the special gifts I have been given are those that highlight a special relationship.  The reason I keep the picture drawn by my son isn’t because it is an expensive piece of art work.  It’s because my son gave me that gift and he created it just for me.  When I look at that particular gift, I am reminded of his love for me and the special relationship we share.

It sounds so obvious, yet we seem to have drifted from this liberating, straightforward truth: God gave us his one and only Son.  God’s answer for the world’s problems has never been material things.  God did not give us more stuff – He gave us himself!

This simple truth is why giving is still a good way to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  It also points to a way out of the chaos of consumerism that Christmas has become, taking us back to the joy that can still be found at the heart of the story.  Our giving can, in some small way, reflect the power and beauty of God coming into our world as one of us.

As we give more this season let us be reminded that the gift is not about the giver, but about the receiver.  Such gifts, when given with the spirit of humility, are expressions of grace.  Can you think of a better way to celebrate Jesus?

If we can resist the trap of giving easy gifts, and if we can reject the assumption that giving expensive gifts or many gifts is the best way to express love, something else might happen.  We might experience moments of relational giving that our friends and family will care about and remember. 

Share with me, and those who join us on this mission, the stories of how we are celebrating Christmas differently this year.  Can’t wait to hear from you!