As I get older, I find myself getting more sentimental about things, especially the approaching Christmas season. I find myself thinking back to the Christmas when I heard the sleigh bells ringing and I woke up the whole house because I heard the bells. I find myself thinking back to a Christmas where I was given a Timex watch and wore it every day for 9 years until one day in grade 12 when I looked at my watch to see what the time was and all I had was the strap and the back of that watch. I remember crying when I got home, not over the fact that I had lost the watch, but rather the fact that the two people who gave me that watch had since passed away, and that was my reminder of them.
In ministry, I think about the word “present.” This time of year, that is a word that is found on the minds of everyone, especially in the race against time (or at least that is how it feels for many) to get the things done that need to be on time. A number of years ago on social media, there was a post that had a list of the things that needed to be done by Christmas. The first thing on that list was “buy presents,” which was scratched out and next to it was written “be present.” That is the best thing we can be to anyone at any given time—be present to another person. The best present is your presence. You are special to God, and to show such a speciality is to be with someone else and when with someone else, leave everything else at the door and just bring yourself.
This year, I do not and would not care if there is a gift under a tree for me. I have enough stuff, and in some cases I have too much stuff. Yet what I look for most of all this year is for the people that I am with, to be present with me as I am present with them. As we observe Advent and Christmas, let us be present to God. The best way to be present to God is to be present to one another. We need not worry about what kind of present you are going to be: just be present and bring yourself. In bringing yourself, you bring God to someone who is in need of God and you can show them the love that God has for them in being present to them. Let us all bring God to each other and each other to God. In bringing God to each other, may we see the very presence of God in each other as, after all we are made in the image of God and it is such an image that is indeed a present to us all.
