12.12.2005

Christmas and Giving

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Ev'rywhere you go;
Take a look in the five-and-ten, glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.


Each year it begins to look a lot like Christmas earlier and earlier. The retail stores can’t wait to enter into their bonanza period. This year I saw Christmas decorations before the Thanksgiving holiday.

The lyrics to this old song tell us to look in the five-and-ten to see what Christmas looks like. The five-and-tens are extinct and have been replaced by the Wal-Mart’s and Target’s of the world.

To me it begins to look a lot like Christmas when I see the first Salvation Army volunteer ringing a bell while standing next to the kettle.

Christmas for some starts in early November when many churches and other non profit organizations hold their yearly bazaars. A bazaar can be a street market in a Middle Easter country or a retail store that sells a wide variety of items. The bazaar I’m talking about here is a sale of goods to raise money for charity. Charity is the voluntary provision of money, materials, or help to people in need.

Charity is synonymous with Christmas. Americans are extremely charitable as can be seen how they step up to the plate each time there’s some natural disaster in the world. It seems that the world has had it’s fill of disasters recently, both home and abroad and that has stretched many to the limits of giving.

How many times have you seen a crowd of people gathered and noticed someone holding a sign that has John 3:16 written on it? Some people brush that person off as being some kind of kook. Christians celebrate the gift that God gave us at Christmas for John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have Eternal life.”

Given this greatest example, we should follow suit and be mindful of the needy among us. You can’t escape from the numerous solicitations that will be presented to you especially during this time of year. In the past month I have received or encountered the following solicitations;

The mailman has delivered a number of calendars and sets of greeting cards and spiritual cards from various charitable organizations in hope that their gifts would solicit a donation from me.

This morning I received via e-mail a request for help from an organization which I contributed to during the tsunami. They suggested that instead of shopping for the customary gift, that I make a contribution in the name of a friend or family member. A gift of $35 would be enough to provide 11 blankets to protect earthquake survivors in Pakistan from the cold of winter. Or if I gave $5000, they could rebuild seven houses that were destroyed by the tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

You can’t get away from being reminded to give because even radio stations have various charities that they are trying to raise money for. A local sports talk show targets different organizations daily whereby they try to get listeners to contribute. Saturday, I heard some poor soul call a talk show that deals with handling various problems. The caller, a woman, asked how she could go about purchasing a new propane heater to heat the dilapidated farmhouse that housed her and a handicapped daughter. The woman explained that she had filed for bankruptcy and couldn’t get credit. She had a job where she made approximately $17,000 a year, just above what the government considers the poverty line, thereby negating any chance of public assistance. The talk show host immediately started a call to all of his listeners to see if he could have someone donate the heating system to this woman.

I recently tuned into the local PBS TV station, Channel 2, and found that they were broadcasting extra special shows in order to solicit funds from viewers.

In order to raise funds to support the various ministries provided, the church which I frequent has the following fund raising programs ongoing during Christmas; you are to bring a gift that’s specified on a paper tree ornament and it will be given to a needy child. You can purchase an ornament for $5 which will have your prayer intention and will also decorate a huge Christmas tree in the lobby. Or you can purchase spiritual Christmas cards or buy a raffle Christmas calendar.

Because of all the busy-ness of the season people find less time to donate blood. Blood banks and organ banks and food banks are much neglected at this time of year.

On top of all the organizations that are asking you to give, you’ll definitely run into many of the homeless especially if you visit downtown Boston, that have their hands or cups out asking for your ‘spare change.”

I’ve only listed things that I’ve seen and I’m sure that you could add a lot more to this list. The question arises as to how much and to how many different people or groups can I give to?

Well, the answer my friends, is not blowing in the wind but in sacred Scripture;

"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Matthew 19:21

He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.

A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.

Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury.

For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood." – Mark 12:41-44

Maybe this year unstead of getting caught up in the frenzy of running around to try to find something to give to people who have tons of “stuff,” you can give to the needy and sit back and relax knowing that you have made someone’s Christmas a little brighter.

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;

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