Whoever
has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do
likewise. (Luke 3.11)
It is a cliché but also a truth that
Christmas is a time for giving. For months in advance, it seems retailers
bombard us with messages to buy more and more, playing on our guilt by equating
consuming with caring. On the other hand, though, Christmas does tend to bring
out our most generous selves. Charitable donations and volunteering increase
during this season, and many people genuinely seek out opportunities to give to
loved ones and strangers alike.
In today's gospel reading, John the
Baptist instructs his hearers on how to "bear good fruit" — in other
words, how to translate faith into action. His advice seems simple and straightforward:
share what you have with those who have not. How hard can this be?
John's words, however, actually propose a
radical transformation in how we live our lives. Experts tell us that the world
produces enough food to feed every person on the planet, yet vast numbers of
people around the globe are hungry. When many of us consume far more than we
need, others are deprived of the basic necessities.
Often we may feel that major ethical
issues such as hunger, poverty and environmental degradation are so vast and
widespread that there is very little that one person, one family or one
community can do to make a difference. The temptation is, therefore, to throw
up our hands in despair and do nothing.
A number of well-loved Christmas carols
and stories describe a visitor to the Nativity, perhaps a shepherd, regretting
that they have no gift worthy of presentation to the Christ child. Invariably
it is the gift of themselves — their goodwill, their humility, their love —
that constitutes the best gift. Each of us can start somewhere — perhaps with
giving away that extra coat to someone who lives in a shelter, for instance.
More importantly, we can examine our understanding of needs versus wants. How
much is "enough" for us?
Along with the gifts we exchange this
Christmas, perhaps we can offer God the gift of our willingness to explore ways to "live more simply so
that others may simply live."
0 God the giver of all gifts, forgive us
for the ways in which we take more than we need. Help us to bear good fruit by
more generously sharing what we have with others, both locally and globally.
~
FROM: Word Made Flesh – Daily
Reflections December 13,2015
