But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12.31
Dear friends,
The season of gift-giving has not come to an end, although we may have taken down the Christmas tree and all the decorations of the Christmas holiday season. The work of love—its gift-giving to the world—never ends.
This year on the Sunday after Christmas, a simple service was planned on what is sometimes known as “Boxing Day.” In England and other places around the world, December 26 is a celebration that started with the opening of the alms boxes and gifts distributed to the poor and evolved to be the day that included thanking those who worked in the big manor houses of the wealthy on Christmas with a day off and a gift (in a box, apparently!) from their employers.
So, Boxing Day is all about gifts. Not the fancy ones in beautiful wrapping paper under the tree or in stockings hung by the fire, but a day to show gratitude and generosity. It’s a time to reflect on how, out of our abundance, we can share with others and give of ourselves for the sake of others.
At the Boxing Day service at Edwards Church on December 26, each one received an empty box and an invitation to imagine how each would fill that box in the new year. What gifts of gratitude and generosity can each of us offer?
Because the gift-giving never ends–there’s plenty more work for all of us to do—together. As Howard Thurman wrote,
“When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.”
Blessings to all for a peace-filled, gift-giving new year,
Karen Nell