Most, if no all, of  us have either read or heard the slogan :”Jesus is the reason for the season.” The slogan is intended to remind Christians that the celebration of Christmas is a deeply spiritual feast that acknowledges God’s great love for his creation as expressed through and in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity.  To those outside of Christendom the slogan is a statement of faith, a testimony made by Christians that summarizes the essences of Christmas: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that whosoever will shall be saved.” (John 3:16)

During the Christmas season, more so than during other times of the year, our purposeful acts of kindness and our gifts to others are symbolic of God’s great gift to the world: The Lord Jesus Christ. That is why gift giving matters. However, neither the cost  nor the brand of the gift matters to those recipients who are focused on the true meaning of Christmas. What matters  to them  is the spirit (the intent of the heart)  in which the act of kindness is bestowed. Given in the spirit of love things as simple as a sincere  greeting; a piece or bag of fruit; new or gently used clothing and toys, and an invitation to sup are just as valuable to and treasured by recipients as expensive jewels and other high priced things.

Christmas gifts should symbolize concern, unity, peace, reconciliation, and love. That is why they matter. A Christmas gift is a way of saying you matter to me and this gift symbolizes my love for you and is intended to remind you and I of God’s great sacrificial love for the world that was manifested in the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ.