Article December 16, 1996 Issue

Giving and receiving

Fenella Bennetts

AS the Christmas season approaches, gift lists start growing—often kept in secret places so as not to spoil the surprise for other members of the household! These lists normally represent the joy associated with giving. But sometimes the coin flips and a sense of burden creeps in. The list appears endless, and the inspiration needed to match a gift to each person seems to fly out the window. The questions arise: What is behind all this giving and receiving? How can I maintain the Christly sense of spontaneity and joy amid the hustle and bustle of the holidays?

A few years ago I was faced with a schedule that involved traveling right up until Christmas. The household included its usual extended family, and I wanted each one to feel cherished, but there was very little time in which to think about getting gifts for everyone.

Detecting the first signs of burden, I affirmed that the activity of giving, in its highest sense, expresses the spirit of the Christ. Science and Health states, "Metaphysics resolves things into thoughts, and exchanges the objects of sense for the ideas of Soul" (Mary Baker Eddy, p. 269). Dealing with the ideas of Soul is joyful and spontaneous, entirely free from time or human planning, and it is "weightless" in that it carries no burden of personal responsibility.

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