Monday, December 18th

“If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb…”

Christina Rossetti’s poem has this wonderful last line asking “what shall I bring Him, poor as I am?” and meditating on the gifts which might have appeared at the stable. The first thing we think about bringing to the Savior is “things.” Lambs, which we can pet. Gold, frankincense and myrrh. Things we can wrap in pretty paper and make surprises on Christmas morning.

Naturally, we need “things” all the time – that’s the nature of life, where food and shelter and tools and toys and all the other physical stuff we handle every day is part of our home, our work, our church. Things give our lives a solidness which anchors us in time and space. They represent for us our accomplishments. They seem to give some lasting importance to what we have been and hope to be.

In our modern economy, we do not make everything we need ourselves; we give our work a value, and exchange tokens (we call it “money”) with specialists in the various trades and skills.  It is transporting our time to somewhere else, and in a manner which benefits all the parties.

The church needs both physical things and the financial support we give; these are actually rather easy gifts to give, but no less valuable for their being simple an obvious gifts to give the Lord!

HOW HAVE I GIVEN CHRIST “A LAMB” OR “GOLD AND RICHES”?

Prayer: Lord God, we sometimes are owned by the things in our lives. Help us today learn to let go of them, and begin to share the things we have, the wealth you have given us, with all Christ’s children. Amen.

Dr. John Clifford