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A clanging bell.
A red bucket.
An old food cupboard box sagging in the supermarket.
A letter in the mail asking for a financial gift at the end of the year.
A Christmas tree full of angel ornaments bearing the requests of needy children.
Each is a small piece of the holidays. Each provides a way to alleviate some of the guilt that springs from purchasing so many unneeded gifts.
Instead of relegating these pieces to the holiday backdrop, mere pieces of Christmas, I suggest they become something different: signs.
We need these signs to remind us that our own experiences are not the norm.
We need these signs to remind us that thousands upon thousands hunger and thirst for justice, not to mention their actual hunger and thirst.
We need these signs to point us toward another way of conceiving gifts and the holidays. The fact is we know very little about the overwhelming, exhilarating joy of giving.
Exchanging gifts with those able to return the favor is more like a swap. The reward is the reciprocal gift. That is why we need the buckets, bells, angel trees, and letters. They point us beyond mere reciprocation.
There is another kind of giving, a rarely glimpsed level of joy beyond the pale of swapping and exchanging. When a gift is given to someone who truly needs it, we encounter a one-way transaction the brims over with blessings for both parties involved.
And if we catch on to this one-sided giving, we may find ourselves changed. Suddenly we are breaking bad habits, bringing justice to our land, and opening up fresh possibilities for the new year.
Perhaps this spark of generosity during the holidays will catch, and new people will emerge who regularly celebrate the joy of giving throughout the year. Soon the buckets, bells, trees, and letters become insignificant and unnecessary because our hearts ring out with the love of God and stir us to take action.
Ed Cyzewski lives in Arlington, Vermont with his wife Julie. He writes and works for several non-profit organizations. Ed regularly blogs. You can find out about his book for beginning theologians at edcyzewski.wordpress.com.
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