One writer rightly stated: ‘Christmas is a time of giving, the most precious gifts of all being love and care. It is a time when we should open our hearts wide and embrace the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of others, our closest family members, and the strangers alike.’
In challenging times economically and otherwise, people generally adopt self- preservation strategies to ensure their survival. Some of these people may even delude themselves in believing that they do not have much to offer, since money and other materialistic resources may be in short supply or even non-existent. Giving however, is not just about tangibles as we may have been socialised to believe. In fact, those intangibles – some of which are part of the fruit of the Spirit namely love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self- control, as highlighted in Galatians 5: 22 – 23, when meaningfully extended and applied, go a long way in transforming lives and societies.
Inevitably, either sharing from our minuscule or mega resource is an essential part of our Christian duty and is also a big investment that guarantees many positive dividends, not just for ourselves, but for others. The widow of Zarephath who used her last amount of oil and flour to make a cake for the prophet Elijah, at the expense of the well-being of herself and son, experienced a generous reward. Almighty God compensated her richly for that act of selflessness and sacrifice, as recorded in 1 Kings 17: 7 – 16.
Additionally, sharing and caring are reflective of the inherent bond that exists among us as members of the human family, irrespective of race, class, or creed. In this regard, the following African Proverb is quite instructive: ‘A Person is a Person Because of Other People’. Essentially, this saying speaks to our intentionality in fostering harmonious relationships, with the realisation that as human beings we are the products of each other’s actions and decisions. Implicit in this reality is the commitment to build community, utilising our respective capacities and competencies to make a difference in our spheres of influence.
Christmas therefore in terms of its potency and beauty is an everyday commitment. In this regard I could not resist referencing another equally powerful African Proverb which is also biblically sound and intriguing. It states: ‘There is no Beauty but the Beauty of Action.’ My dear brothers and sisters across the Caribbean and the global arena, as we sing the songs, hymns, and carols of the Christmas season, as we fellowship and celebrate with friends and family, let us keep in focus the real reason for the season. Let us remember the poor and dispossessed everywhere – those who are victims of war, prejudice, discrimination, unrighteousness, and injustice. Let us commit ourselves to acts of meaning, purpose and beauty, to make a difference in this world, through the enablement of the Blessed Holy Spirit.
I close with the words of the Prince of Peace Himself who was the exemplar and epithet of the sharing and caring modality: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
Fellow Barbadians at home and abroad, fellow Caribbeans, fellow Wesleyans regionally and globally, friends and partners of the Wesleyan Church, whether your temperature is hot or cold or whether there is sunshine or rain in your ‘neck of the woods,’ I wish for all of you a ‘Sonshine Christmas’ on behalf of my immediate family, the General Board of Administration of the Wesleyan Holiness Church of the Caribbean, and the International Board of the Wesleyan Church.
Blessings!
Rev. Joel Cumberbatch
General Superintendent – The Wesleyan Holiness Church of the Caribbean
The Chairman – The International Board of the Wesleyan Church
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