Sharing...

This sermon from Christmas Eve of 2016 goes to what I consider the heart of the Christianity: sharing. There are many metaphors that bring to mind the love God has for us: mercy, justice, peace, hope, and countless others. But I have always been struck by "sharing."

For one thing, it seems to be something we all have to learn. How many parents have told a child at one time or another, "Remember to share?" It's not necessarily a "natural" thing. Learning to share is learning to live in the love of God in Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. We share because God first shared with us.

The second thing is that sharing binds us together as community. Because of my inclinations and training, "community" has always had a high priority for me, even if I would never actually join a community that would have me as a member. (Thank you, Groucho Marx.) The act of sharing immediately brings you into the presence of another person, and from there community begins.

Christianity is a religion of sharing, not of buying and selling, not of winning or losing, but about taking what you have been given and giving it to somebody else for no cost, at no benefit to you. In fact, if you're going to use Jesus of Nazareth as your prime example of sharing, know this: he shared until he was dead. If you follow in his footsteps of sharing you'll probably die before your time. But, for a Christian, that's not the worst thing that could ever happen...

May your tables be full and your conversations be true.