For many, today is a special day.  A day to be with family.  To share stories.  To laugh, to eat, to be merry.  And that is all good.  To those who follow Christ, this is the day when God fulfilled his promise and gave us His Son.  Announced by angels, the child of God came not to condemn.  Or to belittle.  Or to oppress.  Or to destroy.  The Son of God was born from the womb of a woman, the new Eve, who willingly obeyed the Father who created us all.   Mary’s faith and obedience allowed God to became truly one with us.  To know the love of a human mother, singularly blessed.  To be raised by an adoptive father, if you will, who taught his son what it means to work hard, to be dutiful, to be faithful.  It was a life not rich in material things, but it was a life rich in spirit, in faith, in humility, in love.

Today, we yearn for great things.  For ourselves.  For our country.  We often think that we alone have the answers.  That our way is the only way, our needs the only things that matter.  We must have the loudest voice, the biggest house, the biggest bank account.  We have an incessant need to glorify ourselves, often at the expense of others.

Two thousand years ago, that was not the message that the Creator gave to His creation.  God did not boast.  He did not bully.  He did not seek attention.  He did not punish.  No, through His Son Jesus Christ, He showed the world that we are all one with God.  We are all children of God.  Jew and gentile alike.  Christ did not carry arms nor did he extol others to oppress or to punish.  He lived a life of humility, of obedience, of subservience.  Our Creator became our brother.  He taught us that we are no longer alone.  That no one is alone.  He taught us to give ourselves to each other.  To respect each other.  To treat each other with dignity, as we are all brothers and sisters in the sight of the Almighty.  He taught us that it is through the giving of one’s self that we are made whole.

Let the gift of God, and the sacrifice of the Son, live in your hearts forever.  When you see someone in the corner needing help, look not in derision.  Share what you have.  Use the talents that were given  to you.  Not to accumulate wealth.  Nor intimidate the weak.

Each of us is unique, with gifts uniquely are own.  To be used, in our own way, to serve all of God’s creation.  Be a friend.  God knows no borders.  God sees color everywhere and rejoices in diversity.  With love, everything is possible.  Even people who do not share our faith are our brothers and sisters.  Treat them as you would have God treat you.  With respect.  With kindness.  With understanding.  If you believe that God created all of us with a purpose, then how can you look at someone with a disability, or someone with a different pigmentation, or someone with a different set preferences with disdain?  Each of us can teach the other.  Each of use can learn from one another.

Jesus came to cleanse us of our sins.  An act of forgiveness.  An act of sacrifice.  A gift, from our Creator, showing us the way to a life of happiness and peace.  Share what you have.  Forgive others and ask to be forgiven.  For in forgiveness, love will come.

Let a flower bloom in your heart.  Be the seed that grows into a tree that gives comfort to all.  Let God’s love, ever present, live within you.   And so I end with prayers, from different points of view.

For those who do not believe in the Almighty, live long and prosper.  Remember to share in your prosperity.

May the God of Abraham, the God of Moses, creator of the Universe, bless you.  May your life be fruitful.

May Allah grant you and your family good health and prosperity.

May Jesus, our savior, Son of God, instill upon your heart the beauty and wonder of God’s love.  Share with others what you have and in so doing, share eternity with all of God’s creation.  Let there be peace.  Let there be joy.  Let there be love.