What Did You Give the Christ-Child?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

I believe peace will make a strong comeback.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy Child,
Sometimes it seems that we seek you. Sometimes it seems you seek us.
Lead us to your side.
We are wise to seek you, to search beyond the places of power and prestige, to accept that we might find you in poor and unlikely places, in the company of the unrefined and impolite.
Lead us to your hiding place.
We are wise to bring gifts to you, to offer those things that bring you honor. Most fittingly, that means the best we have and are. Trusting and loyal hearts, for instance. Our precious talents and hard-won abilities. Our love and devotion.
Lead us to give at your manger, your cross, your empty tomb.
We are wise not to reveal your whereabouts to demonic authorities, who will pervert your purpose and your values, charge admission to your presence, claim your sanction for their violence.
Lead us to take another way, one that ends at our home with you.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Thanks to the gifts the astrologers from the east gave me, I will never need to earn my way.”

[Maybe He had a sense of entitlement, but He never said this.]

D. Blog: A Parable

"Herod is about to search..."

A Sunday school class went looking for gifts in a shopping mall. In each store they asked a sales clerk to recommend something for the Christ-child. In one store they bought a live Christmas tree. In a department store, they had some earmuffs gift-wrapped. At the candy store, the clerk just cried and cried and cried.