What Will You Re-gift?
”Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’”
Matthew 25:20
I would bet most of us, at some point, have found ourselves on the receiving end of a gift we really didn’t like—a sweater that was not our color, an item of jewelry that was not our style, or maybe some decorative household item that we would never want on our walls. Such a gift ends up under our Christmas tree with our name on it. We open said gift, we smile nicely, we send our thank you card… and then we re-wrap the gift and pass it on to someone else. We “re-gift” the item onwards to someone else. (Fun fact: the first known use of the word re-gift was in 1995.)
And, of course, on the subject of gifts, the greatest gift we receive at Christmas is the gift of God-made flesh, being born a humble and vulnerable birth in a manger in Bethlehem. The arrival of the Lord into this world is a gift we go on receiving, again and again and again. We may celebrate Christmas once a year, but it is a daily activity to receive and welcome Christ into our lives.
Yet, as we receive this holy gift of love in human flesh, ultimately that gift is not only for us. This is a gift for the whole world. This is a gift that finds its fulfillment in multiplication. It is for our neighbors, our friends, our enemies, our teachers, our employers, our employees, the people of this nation and the people of every nation. No exceptions. By receiving this gift, we step into a kingdom in which we are called to participate in what I suggest should be called “Holy re-gifting.”
Jesus came to us in vulnerability and love. He laid aside divine power and glory and took on our human condition. He loved us with humility and kindness, and ultimately loved us by sacrificing His life for ours. And that gift we have been given is a gift to re-gift. Not that we don’t welcome it or receive it ourselves and just pass it on to someone who might like it—by no means! Instead, it’s a gift we are called to accept for ourselves and, through its power, pass it on to others. We pass on love to others without being pushy. We show kindness without needing something back in return (not even a thank you note!). We become willing to lay down our wants for someone whose needs far outweigh ours, inviting others to encounter the source of that great love for themselves.
So, in this Christmas season and on the eve of a brand new year, I invite you to consider this question: what will you re-gift?
