Giving isn’t a natural thing. Oh, I know you could tell me about that spontaneous moment when your heart overpoured with love and you just had to give something special to someone. But I still believe that giving isn’t natural to human beings. If it were, we wouldn’t have the top 1% of the world’s people controlling over 50% of the world’s wealth and resources. If giving were natural, then we wouldn’t have hunger, homelessness or refugees. There are enough resources in the world so that no one needs to be hungry or homeless, but sharing isn’t natural. We tend as human beings to feel that we deserve what we have earned.
I imagine that it is a survival instinct, developed in us from the beginning of humankind. If I am to survive, then I need to fight for my piece of meat from the woolly mammoth and, perhaps, only share with my own offspring so that my genetics would be passed on.
The act of giving, freely and generously without thought of reward or a return gift, is something we have to practice. It is a spiritual practice. As followers of the Way of Jesus, we give because Jesus taught us that that is what we do. He modelled it for us by showing love to and sharing with those rejected by society. He modelled it for us in giving his life on the cross. The Christian spiritual practice of giving is really about sacrifice, though I know we don’t like to use that word in our society. Yet sacrifice is really what it is – giving freely and gladly more than we think we are able to give. It is going that one step more and sometimes doing without something so that we can share with others.
Pre-schoolers do not easily share or give. Many adults can’t easily share or give generously. It requires that we can hold 2 thoughts in our mind at the same time. I have to be able to say to myself, “I really like this, want this and need this! AND I know that giving this, sharing this, will make a difference to the other person.” Then, in the midst of those two thoughts, I temper my own desire to hold on to what I have and I make the choice to give generously, without calculating what I might get in return. That takes spiritual practice.
In Galatians 5:22, we are told that God gives us the gift of generousity, along with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. When we lean into our faith in God, we can trust that we will have abundantly more than we can ask for or even imagine, even as we share generously with others.
While, as followers of the Way of Jesus, we practice giving generously and freely all year round, the season of Advent and Christmas is a time to focus on this spiritual practice. Here are two ideas for your family faith practice this week:
Giving to Jesus! What gift will you give Jesus for his birthday? That’s a good question to think about with your children or grand-children or just by yourself. The answer is made easier by remembering that Jesus said, “When you give something to one of these people, the least and unexpected, it is the same as if you give it to me!” So who might that be? Who might be the last one to expect a gift from you this Christmas? The cashiers at the grocery store, the bus driver, the town department that clears the snow off our streets, the mayor, the child next door, a distant cousin, the neighbour that irritates you or a co-worker/classmate that always seems sad/angry. What simple, heart-felt, love-filled gift might appear in their lives from you or your family? You might add a tag that say, “To celebrate Jesus’ birthday, we are giving this gift to you. Please enjoy!”
Heart-felt, Love-filled gifts! Our economy wouldn’t function without Christmas, but that isn’t what Christmas is all about. As Methodist clergy & editor, Roy L. Smith, said, “The one who has not Christmas in their heart will never find Christmas under a tree.” Or from my favourite Dr. Seuss character, “Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” While store-bought gifts are fun, give one gift (created or purchased) that reflects your relationship with the person to whom you are giving it: a letter describing what you appreciate about the person, an object that symbolizes a joint hobby or passion, or something that recognizes that you heard a wish they voiced. This is great to model for your children & to do with children. Maybe they would like to record a song they made up for Mom or paint a picture for Dad. In fact, these things probably come easier to children because they don’t judge the results of their creativity as harshly as we adults tend to do. There is nothing better than receiving a gift that says, “I know you and I love you.!” Such a gift tops even the most expensive item we could put under the tree.
Year-round giving! Christmas reminds us about giving. Yet the gift God gave to us in Jesus is meant to inspire us year round. The spiritual practice of giving is to set aside a certain amount each month/week and give that first, before paying bills or meeting other expenses. The spiritual purpose of this is 3 fold: First, it challenges us to trust God to provide for us. Second, it reminds us that we are meant to “love our neighbours as we love ourselves.” Third, it is our commitment to following the Way of Jesus and helping God’s love & justice grow in this world. Your congregation counts on your giving, just as other organizations count on your giving, so that we can be there for you and others. Most of our income comes from the givings of individuals, along with some rental income. We can not do what we do as a congregation, we can not be a place of God’s help, home and hope, without your support. Your givings make a difference in the lives of others, as well as being a spiritual practice that connects you with the generousity & abundance of God. Yes, this is an unabashed “ask” because I believe in what our congregation, and other congregations & organizations do to bring God’s love and hope in this world. I ask, because I know that my faith life has been transformed by the spiritual practice of committed giving of a tithe of our income.
Giving may not be natural for human beings, but God has created us with the minds and the faith to make the choice to give. God has also created us with the ability to feel the joy and the peace that come from the spiritual practice of giving. May this joy and peace be yours and your family’s this Christmas.
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