And amazingly the savior is given to us as an infant. I have wondered how God chose to be a fragile child. I have found the reason as I recall a tragedy happened on Black Friday, the day after thanksgiving this year. In New Jersey, a 34-year-old part-time employee was trampled to death when the doors opened at a Wal-Mart store on Black Friday, where customers had waited in line for hours, desperate to take advantage of some holiday bargains. Customers stampeded over the injured man and ignored his desperate cries for help as an emergency medical team tried to save the life. That same day two men were shot and killed at a Toys “R” Us in California. It could be an extreme example of what kind of gift we want to have. On Christmas, we receive and give many gifts through which we express our affection for the recipients. Gifts bring about joy and happiness, a knowledge and feeling of being loved. The spirit of gift is always love; without it, gifts mean nothing but to buy and consume for self-gratification.
Look at the manger, a little baby, God’s gift to us. God doesn’t give us a gift fully made or complete. God gives us an opportunity to take care of the gift through which we may learn something invisible and valuable for us. I believe it is the gift of life that we all seem to know but not really understand. Life is precious as well as fragile. It is God who teaches us how fragile life is and what we should do for the life through the infant Jesus. Christmas is about the gift of life. It should not be about taking life to buy gifts.
And the good news is that the gift of life is already given to us without condition. It is forgiven which means God restores our identity through this gift regardless our unworthiness and sinfulness. On our part, we just need to come, receive and value it with gratitude. God knows there wouldn’t be a better teaching than handing over a little child to someone who doesn’t know how to value the life.
So Christmas is the feast of love as well. Through God’s greatest gift for us, we experience love now before the manger. It is like if you see a light of candle first and then if you come closer to the light, you can feel warmth from the light. Likewise, if you look at the gift from God in the manger and then come closer to the baby, you will feel warmth which is love, God Himself. Come, receive the life and experience love for “The light has brought the people abundant joy and great rejoicing.” Amen.