THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS

I saw a Christmas movie recently in which the main character opened a pop-up Christmas card which revealed a Christmas tree with myriad of Christmas presents underneath it. The caption said: "What will you get for Christmas?" Upon seeing this bounty of gifts the main character exclaimed: "Now that's the essence of Christmas!" Needless to say I was rather perturbed by this. It made me realise as never before that we have turned Christmas into a meaningless holiday based on a lie. That lie being a fat man in a red suit delivering presents he has made to children all over the world in one night. This lie has pushed us all into frenzied consumerism.

I had never heard of exchanging gifts at Christmas until I came to Australia at the age of 14. I was raised in a Catholic country where the only focus at Christmas was Christ. It has always baffled me that we give each other gifts at this time of the year because let's face it, it's not our birthday. It's someone else's. Even if it is celebrated at the wrong time of the year. They say Christmas is really for children. I have been a witness to this as a parent. Now that I'm older and my children are grown, Christmas doesn't hold as much appeal for me anymore, except this year it has made me reflect on one absolute truth: we are all children. Children of a Father of all fathers. Children of royal birth. Children temporarily distanced but never forgotten. Why is this knowledge important to remember at Christmas time? Because through remembering we cannot fail to see that the Father who always gives good gifts has given us one gift that surpasses them all: the gift of eternal life through His only begotten Son: Christ the Saviour, the Babe of Bethleham, the Hope of Israel. If we can have eternal life, what other gift could we possibly want or need?

The magnitude of such a gift reminds me of a story that tells of a wealthy man and his son who loved to collect rare works of art. The son tragically died in the Vietnam war. One day a fellow soldier he had saved came to the father’s door and presented him with a portrait of his son he had painted as a gift. This portrait became the most valuable work of art to the grieving father. When he died some months later his collection of art was auctioned to many influential people who had gathered eager to see many great paintings in hope to purchase them for their own collection. The first painting that was auctioned was the painting of the wealthy man’s son. Nobody was willing to buy it and they pressed the auctioneer to display the more prestigious works. The auctioneer persisted exclaiming: “The son! The son! Who will take the son?” Finally a humble gardener from the deceased man’s estate offered $10. When nobody raised the bid, the auctioneer proclaimed the painting sold and advised the eager audience that the auction was over. When asked about the paintings of the famous masters they had come to see the auctioneer replied: “I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything.”

Much like the auctioneer, I imagine the Father would at Christmas time wish to ask us: “Who will take the son?” Because you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.