Christmas morning is finally here! For many, this is a time of giving and receiving. A time when we pause and open presents.
Of course, this time may have started months ago for some as we thought of our loved ones and contemplated a gift that would honour our relationship with them. Gift giving can communicate something about how well we know an individual, how much time we are willing to take to bring a smile to their face, how well we listen, and our own creativity. When we put it all together, there is a certain joy that comes from that gift exchange.
Of course, Christmas morning can be heavily focused on the reveal! The moments when we carefully, or not so carefully, unwrap the presents and express our gratitude to the giver. It can be a lot of fun to see people’s reactions. There can be incredible joy in sharing a bit of who we are with one another.
That joy doesn’t end when we clean up the mess of gift wrap, bags, and boxes. Gifts are not meant to simply be a surprise on opening. Gifts include something else. Food that gets eaten and beverages that are to be drunk. Clothes are to be worn. Games to be played. Gift cards that get used for purchases. Books that are read. Gifts with a difference that become used to make a difference in the lives of those who are struggling. A commitment of time together. Whatever the gift may be, there is always something that happens beyond the reveal. Gifts come with an invitation to do something, to use them in some way.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
God’s gifts to the world started with creation, an unfolding of God’s love with light and darkness, soil and water, plants, insects, birds, fish, animals, and people. With incredible wisdom, God picked the best gifts for the world and all that is in it. Every day is an opportunity to unwrap God’s gifts, but Christmas Day adds one more nuance.
From the beginning God’s greatest gift walked alongside creation, weaving wisdom, understanding, and love into the process. In time, this Word is wrapped, like a gift, in a human vessel. Starting as a baby in humble circumstances, God comes to this world to give everyone a chance to unwrap that gift, that promise. In the Christmas story, God provides an opportunity to know the joy of receiving.
But we are not just to unwrap God’s gift. We are not supposed to simply pop Jesus in the manger and go on with the party. God’s gift, God’s Word, God made flesh, is an invitation to use God’s gift, to learn from those gifts, to embody those gifts to the world.
So, with every present we unwrap this season and all the ways we use those gifts, may we remind ourselves God’s gifts are under the tree too. Indeed, God’s gifts are all around us inviting us not only to find joy in the reveal, but to also find grace in what we choose to do with those gifts. May those choices honour the Giver of all Good Gifts, the One we celebrate today, God with us, Emmanuel. This we pray as we sing: (SNC) 43 Holy Child within the Manger