This season of the year invariably presents opportunities to share with others, from gifts for loved ones to special donations for those in need. TV and radio stations stage food and toy drives. Salvation Army and Knights of Columbus volunteers stand in the cold to invite people to give. Churches organize Christmas baskets and fill Angel Tree orders. Hospitals like St Jude's Childrens Research Hospital urge folks to give thanks by giving help to children who are sick.
This morning on a radio call-in show I heard coming in to work, a caller offered the opinion that the public should not limit this kind of charitable sentiment to one month a year. True enough. Yet it's also true that many of the people who respond to these special appeals in this season make a fairly regular practice of remembering others year-round. But it doesn't hurt any of us to be reminded of our own blessings and to be challenged to re-focus on the concerns of our neighbors in need. The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas typically provide that reminder, and when we have the capacity to respond, even in a small way, it is uplifting.
Our concern for others, when we are disciples of Jesus, is not limited to their physical needs but includes as well a desire that they may experience the joy and hope that comes through a relationship with Christ. For Jesus, the spiritual and physical needs of people were not separate, but rather he gave attention to the whole person, body and spirit. That is a model for our caring, too.
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