Giving Good Gifts
by the Rev. Grey Maggiano
When the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, "See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent." Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you."
2 Samuel 7:1
Have you ever given someone a gift they didn’t want? Totally misread the room and gave a gift that went totally wrong? Over and over God’s people try to please God, and over and over we miss the mark. God gave us judges and we demanded a king, God asked for a tent and we gave him a temple.
But don’t think this was just the Israelites! The story of the gospels is the story of Jesus followers not quite getting what Jesus is saying. Over and over again. We think God wants stuff. Palaces and temples and Kingdoms and the like -- and all God wants is us. Our love.
So perhaps this is a good time to remember that we are no different. We haven’t miraculously figured out how to understand God perfectly in the 21st century. The life of the Christian Faith is a constant pattern of seeking to get closer to God, making mistakes, and seeking to return. Advent is a season of return. We look back at the year prior - consider those things that have made us feel Christ’s presence and take a moment to also remember those moments of God’s absence in our lives.
There is no shame in giving a bad gift. Because you still gave a gift out of love. The shame would be in pretending the gift was fine, or running away from the relationship rather than apologize or seeking to make amends. This has been a tough year. We have all had our share of challenges, issues, mistakes, losses and hurts. Hopefully we also have received a few good gifts along the way - new relationships, new jobs, new opportunities, deeper faith.
This advent we are awaiting the incarnation, and perhaps our own incarnation -- post COVID, new mayor, new president, renewed faith community here at Memorial. And so in our waiting, we should all take a moment to forgive ourselves. Forgive the anger, the frustration, the hurt we have felt. The bad gifts we have given, and to also perhaps offer a little bit of forgiveness for those bad gifts we have received.
Because as Christmas approaches, so does the time to give GOOD gifts. Just as God has given us the gift of the divine incarnate to walk among us, we turned around and gave gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Not a particularly fair trade, but they were received gratefully just the same. Because it was a gift of Love. What good gifts are you going to give in the next year? To God, to your community, to yourself, to your church, to the world?