The Gift That Keeps On Giving

One of my children's favorite books is Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The Grinch has become a well-known character in our society who many people can relate to because the Grinch is real. There are people who do not want to see others happy because they are unhappy. There are those who would take what was created for good and use it for evil. There are those who prefer to take rather than give. There are those who, in their cynicism, would deny hope.

The Grinch did not want to see Christmas come because he despised the joyous singing of the people of Whoville, their feasting, and other holiday festivities. The Grinch designed a scheme to stop Christmas. He dressed up like Santa Claus, disguised his dog as a reindeer, and went into Whoville to steal Christmas. He took all the holiday food, gifts, Christmas trees, decorations, and all the other things identified with Christmas. On Christmas morning, the Grinch prepared to hear a depressed and weeping Whoville. Instead, he heard joyous singing. The Grinch had no control over Christmas for the people of Whoville because joy and hope were on the inside of them.

In our lives, all of us have experienced a Grinch, a person or a situation that has stolen from us. As a result of this victimization, we were left with unanswered questions regarding our faith, struggling with blame, and ashamed that we were in this position.

The people of Whoville teach us that there is something on the inside of us that is more powerful than what we are experiencing on the outside. It is the gift of God's grace that keeps on giving even when we give out and our stuff is gone.

The gift that keeps on giving is God's love for us and the love we share with one another that provides us with the strength to sing joyous songs in the midst of hurt, pain, and rejection. The gift that keeps on giving gives us the ability to cope and get through challenging and hurtful situations. The Grinch cannot stop this gift from giving.

The Grinch has no control over Christmas or joy or hope or healing. Christians believe that Christmas happens every time we experience God's love revealed in Jesus Christ. It does not wait on Black Friday or December 25th; it comes all year round and gives us joy that lasts a lifetime.

For all of us, getting an unexpected phone call from a friend, our flat tire changed on the side of the road, seeing a formerly battered woman start a new life, or getting a hug from our children after struggling all day to look for a job are examples of the ways in which we have experienced the power of God in our lives in the midst of suffering.

The gift that keeps on giving gives even more when we share it with one another. When our faiths, our hands, our stories, and our suffering become one and we sing about it, God's grace changes our situations for the better and it also changes the community around us. Our songs are a testimony to society that the Grinch has no authority over Christmas, our divine destinies, or any other aspect of our lives.

The gift that keeps on giving empowers people to have hope and faith, and to experience peace and joy. In this holiday season, let us celebrate the gift that keeps on giving.

(c) 2008 by Robin Harris Kimbrough, Legal Counsel
Tennessee Coalition Against
Domestic & Sexual Violence, Faith Trust Institute

Submitted by April Lorier, with gratitude