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Richard Littledale's
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All I want for Christmas...
 ...is what you didn't give me! A survey published recently claimed that half of 7 - 9 year-olds believed they had received too many Christmas gifts. Hard though this may be to believe on their part, it is not so on the part of those buying the presents. Often a multiplication of gifts for one particular person reflects an uncertainty about which, if any, of the gifts will really please them. Sadly many gifts, no matter how carefully chosen and how beautifully wrapped, will join the mound of £3 million worth of unwanted gifts in the United Kingdom each year. So why do we bother?
Some trace the origin back to the Wise Men in the Christmas story. Our exchange of gifts is inspired by their act of homage to the baby Christ and his mother. Others say that it is a reflection of God's act of giving, as he entrusted his precious son to the world. Cynics say that it is a tradition kept alive by commerce the world over, and others urge us not to ask too many questions and simply to enjoy the presentfest. There is undoubtedly an element of truth in all of them.
Time spent in choosing a gift for a loved one or colleague is never wasted if it causes us to think about them and their personality. In a hectic life, these may be the only moments in which we pause to think about what that person is really like, and how we might bring joy to their Christmas. In this, we surely reflect the gift of God. According to the Bible, God invested many centuries in preparing his Christmas gift. The time, place and manner of its giving were all planned in meticulous detail. As the time drew closer, the stage was set in a small house in Nazareth, a hillside in Judea, the palaces of Persia and a stable in Bethlehem for this remarkable gift to be delivered. Long before the days of electronic singing Christmas cards, its arrival was accompanied by a fanfare of angels in the skies.
God's gift, like many of our carefully selected ones, may sometimes end up on the discarded pile. Many will toss it aside in favour of more dazzling trinkets and more instant gratification. The church's role is to bring it again and again to the fore, so that people might appreciate both gift and giver.
Of course, a discarded gift can sometimes find a new home and bring joy in surprising quarters. Recently a squirrel scampered across the path in front of me bearing an unusual 'fruit' in its mouth - a large discarded fairy light bulb! Whether it was intending to put it in its winter food store or to decorate its dray I do not know. However, at least the gift had found a home! Will God's gift find a home with you this Christmas?
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