Matthew 1.21
She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
The simplicity of this statement amazes me. In that one sentence, the
world’s greatest gift is summed up: Jesus, Mary and Joseph’s son, will be our
savior. In the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, it can be difficult
to remember that the best present has already been given. Not in the, “I
already have one of these sweaters… time to regift!” kind of already given; but
rather in a, “Wow! This is fantastic!! How can I ever thank you enough?” way.
Our salvation from sin and despair has been given to us as our most
amazing Christmas gift ever, and that is something that engulfs me with an
overflowing joy. While a square of exquisite Christmas fudge is something that
I am tempted to keep all to myself, Jesus is a gift that fills me so completely
that I want to share! This gift of the Good News of our Savior Jesus Christ is
something that has been gifted and is meant to be regifted.
We need to go tell it on a mountain, live it in our missions, and even
share the joy at the grocery store. Opportunities for regifting the love of
Jesus Christ are everywhere, and like Mary and Joseph, we simply need to say
yes.
In our culture, regifting often has a negative connotation. Generally,
an item that is being regifted is one that was unwanted, and furthermore this
action may offend the original giver. Our case of regifting the miraculous
story of Jesus is exactly the opposite. The gift of salvation has already been
given; the Savior has come! How can we accept this overwhelming gift and not
retell the story; re-give the joy? We can be secure knowing that our Divine
Original Giver will approve.
Carol Gracia, Administrative Assistant at Crossroads Community Services,
UrbanLife and Chancel Choir Member
