‘Tis the season for gift giving! Why do you suppose most every religion expressed in the United States of America in the 21st century—and there are countless religions—all have a season set-aside for “gift giving”?
Could it be that all who frame their lives around the experience of goodness, coming from divinity to humanity, recognize that giving thanks for our well-being leads to giving thanks for the people we love by giving material goods? Gift giving is an act encapsulated in love.
As all major world religions have some form of “do unto others as you have them do to you”, and for most “love your neighbor as yourself,” so do we give to others. What is the greatest gift of all? Is it material, or is it love itself?
As I write this article on “The Gift of Love” I note that Christians across the western world celebrate this time of anticipating the birth of Christ—love incarnate. In the midst of this anticipation for Christ’s coming into the world, many Christians also celebrate an early follower of Jesus Christ, Bishop Nicholas of Myra (Turkey), who, after a life of selfless love for others, died Dec. 6, 343 C.E.
Stories of Bishop Nicholas’ life are no doubt embellished over time… but most agree he was born to wealthy parents who died in an epidemic. Rather than growing bitter, Nicholas turned his heart completely toward the ways of Jesus. He persistently gave away his wealth (usually in secret) to poor people living on the margins: widows, unmarried people, students, sailors, repentant thieves and, his favorite, children.
Saint Nicholas loved all sorts of people who others may have seen as unlovable and is best known for offering financial support to those with little or no money. Legend has it he secretly came at night to the home of a poor man with three daughters who had no dowry: throwing gold coins into their shoes to be discovered the next morning.
Hence, as Christianity grew across centuries into Europe, and his remains were brought to Italy in the 11th C., his legendary acts of selfless love and generosity came forward across many ethnic groups as “Sinterklaas,” in Dutch, and brought to America in the 1660s.
As you can see, over time this generous, faithful Saint of the Christian Church morphed into what we in America have named “Santa Claus”—the one who mysteriously brings gifts to children in the middle of the night. Some still give coins/candy in shoes on Dec. 6, but most have moved to “stockings filled with goodies.”
And many feel we’ve gone too far in our cultural adoration and obedience to this now mythical figure with a long white beard and rosy cheeks, wearing a bright red jumpsuit.
Children may find joy in generous gift giving and receiving, but is that because they have been taught this in a U.S. developed marketing industry of consumerism around this figure? Would children be just as filled with joy to live as the one who gave generous LOVE and support to people in need?
LOVE is, of course, FREE! Children freely share this love quite beautifully, without complications, across all faiths…as witnessed in the lives of our own loved ones, like my 6-year-old granddaughter and her BFF forever!
The Rev. Mary B. Blessing is the Episcopal Priest of the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real. She is a Morgan Hill resident and an active member of Interfaith Clergy Alliance of South County.
