Christmas Eve
Gift giving is as old as humanity. We have no difficulty imaging that the first human beings gave gifts to each other. Some gifts might have been better not shared--like that bite of fruit that Eve brought to Adam--or the coat that Jacob gave his son Joseph--but there is just no denying our need to bring something special to those we love and care about or to celebrate a special moment. A gift to honor a person or an event seems to be a natural response of human beings to each other. Royalty and powerful people have always been honored by gifts--kings and princes would be honored with gifts of great value but there is no doubt that lesser people also have felt the need since the beginning of time to give and to accept gifts. The gift marks the moment. A fitting special response--like at the time of a birth.
The cry of the new born. The first rush of breath--the announcement of arrival. Into the world the new born comes proclaiming their presence. And it doesn't matter where or even how the birth occurs. In a hospital delivery room or the bedroom of a house or the musty damp warmth of a stable shelter--the child is born.
The birth of a child is cause for celebration. There seems to be something about the gift of new life--the extension of the human family--that invites a smile--a word of congratulations--and some form of a welcoming gift. Regardless of when or where the birth of a child occurs--the word of that birth has its own way of spreading. Fathers tell families--children tell friends--neighbors tell neighbors--and angels tell shepherds. The story is told again and again in promise and hope. And some just have to come and see--see the new born and bring a gift.
A gift. To my experience the idea of a gift always carries with it the question of what kind of gift. What do you give? The birth of a child today is probably most easily greeted with some type of clothing. A quick stop at the local mall provides abundant possibilities of something cute or pretty or just right. But the convenience of the shopping mall is a relatively recent development. On this night in particular I find my thoughts turning back to the birth that is credited with establishing the pattern of gift giving that has dominated our past few weeks and keeps much of our economy going. A new born arrives in Bethlehem--Word of the birth spreads to the hill country around the village--and the shepherds come to see. I can't help but wonder would be an appropriate gift from a shepherd to bring to a new born child two millennia ago.
A shepherd has few possessions--especially a first century shepherd. It actually makes little sense to have possessions because you have to carry what you own and the sheep tend to wander a lot which means you can't be lugging a lot of gear around with you. A blanket--and an item or two of personal value--a few coins in a money pouch stuffed into your waist belt or girdle--and of course a shepherd's staff. Gifts were not a part of the shepherd's life--few were given and even fewer were received. Yet this was clearly a special night and this birth held unbelievable promise--A gift seemed almost certain.
Should it be something that is the most popular item of the day--this year it was a digital camera--state of the art for the moment. In the first century the most exciting new item--especially in Palestine was probably the Roman glass--glass vials for oils and perfume--glass bowls for serving and drinking--even glass windows being inserted in the Ramn baths to shut out the draft while letting in light. But a shepherd hardly had easy access to Roman glass--that was an item for the urban dwellers--pottery was still the norm for the folks around Bethlehem.
Or should it be something that is just very nice--like flowers or some pretty crafted item--of beauty in its own way but of no practical value. Which is yet another type of gift--something useful--the kind of gifts you give at a kitchen shower. Something of functional worth because it can be used again and again.
A gift that lasts--preserved by tradition.
Amen