Some of the smartest people I know are announcing that they don’t believe in gifts and shopping and the complete commercialization of what the holidays have become. Most of them reference the crazy Wal-Mart woman and the pepper spray incident.
And I know many of us are extremely lucky and we don’t actually need anything. But can I just make a case for giving?
I mean, I’m down with your attitude about receiving. It’s awkward, it’s embarrassing. You have to muster surprise and gratitude, you have to be polite and charming. It’s just so weird.
But giving…. Giving always feels good. I had a big fight with my sisters last year because they insisted that they didn’t want any gifts. And they were trying to stop me from giving them gifts.
Have you ever wanted to help someone, donate to a cause, volunteer, only to be told, “No, thanks. We don’t need you.” It’s rejection, but it’s more. What do you do with that feeling of wanting to give someone something? Where does it go?
So in the spirit of Christmas, which is what I celebrate, I would like to retell the story of the three wise men – smart men like my friends, right? I mean, it’s in their name. So it’s three wise men confronting this problem of, “What to give the infant who doesn’t actually need anything.” (Please note: I love Jesus, I taught Sunday school for three years… I am not making fun of the Bible! Gah!)
When King Herod heard about the birth of the “King of the Jews,” he asked the three wise men to go to Bethlehem and check it out. They set out and followed a star that they had seen rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was.
But before they left, they had a quick discussion about what to get him. “We can’t just show up with nothing,” said one of the wise men.
“Yes, but it’s the King of the Jews,” said another. “He doesn’t need anything.”
“I agree,” said the third, “but from what I heard, he’s living in a manger, which is not really the most posh place to grow up, you know?”
“Fine,” said the second. “But what do you get someone who has everything? He’s a KING, remember? Plus, he’s an infant. So… I mean, a blanket? What do you get a baby king?”
“Stop being so selfish,” said the first wise man. “Everybody likes to get gifts. Let’s take a treasure chest of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Everybody likes that.”
“Are you out of your mind? Do you know how hard it’s going to be to find that this time of year? Plus, it’s all just stuff. They’re traveling by donkey, for heaven’s sake, how are they going to carry that around?”
“I mean, isn’t it enough that we’re showing up,” asked the third wise men. “We’re traveling a long way and it’s going to cost us a mint. We have to bring a gift, too?”
“Okay, okay,” said the first. “We’ll just SHOW UP and say, ‘Hey, Christ. Thanks for being the son of God and offering us a chance to enter heaven. WE’RE HERE.’”
And after a few more minutes of this, they decided that society was forcing them to bring gifts. So they carried the treasure chest all the way to Bethlehem and the manger. And when they got there, Joseph said, “Thank you so much for coming. This is Jesus. He’s your savior. Aw, you brought gifts?”
And Mary said, “You didn’t have to.” Then she hugged them and kissed them on both cheeks and even let them hold the baby for a little while.
THE END
I mean, you had to know how I felt about this. It’s not called “WeDontBelieveinGivingCity Austin,” is it?
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