What are your gifts?
Acts 2:1-11; Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34; 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13; Jn 20:19-23
As I write this, Jews around the world are preparing to celebrate the holiday of Pentecost. This holiday is more commonly known in Judaism as “Shavuot” — the “Feast of Weeks.” It takes place 50 days after the last day of Passover.
Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Only a week later, many Christians around the world will be celebrating their own holiday of Pentecost. In Christian tradition, Pentecost takes place 50 days after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the day that the Holy Spirit was given to the followers of Jesus.
I always liked that Jews and Christians both celebrate a holiday commemorating a day that God gave them a special gift that would enable them to grow closer to God. At Sinai and in the Upper Room, God gave something that would teach, guide and walk with his people as they journeyed through life (Jn 14:16, 26).
God does not leave anyone orphaned and it is part of our job to share this truth of God’s love as best as we can. To this end, we are all given special gifts that will help us do our part. These gifts come in many forms, as we read Paul’s famous writing on this topic in today’s reading from 1 Corinthians 12:4-7.
What gifts do you think the Magi would have brought to announce your birth? Let me explain. The infant Jesus was already born with everything he needed to be able to accomplish his mission on the Earth. But the Magi brought gifts that represented who he was going to be.
Reflecting upon the gifts that God gave you, who do you think you were meant to be? To think of it another way, what three physical gifts would the Magi have brought to represent you? It can be a surprisingly difficult question to answer. To answer it, one must confidently know who they are in God’s world.
I spent much of my life searching for an answer to this question. My interests and experiences have been wide and varied. I have played different sports, learned instruments, languages and studied different kinds of dance. I’ve worked with horses, with children, in retail, in hospitality and in the medical field. All this searching made it difficult for me to pin down specific gifts. I eventually realized that searching is a gift in and of itself. Perhaps the Magi could have brought a magnifying glass to represent this gift.
One love that has remained consistent my whole life is the love of school. School, for me, is a place of searching. It is a place where I can search and walk with others who are searching, while also supporting them in their searching. For me, it is also exciting to be able to accompany someone on their journey as they search, learn and grow. For this gift, a small chalkboard from the Magi would have sufficed.
I do not care to talk about myself that much. I prefer hearing about other peoples lives. I love listening to someone talk about their interests; what makes them excited and brings them joy, and what they have learned during their life journey. I can sit with someone during their happiest moments and during their most painful moments.
It took me a long time to figure it out, that this is also a gift. Though I have no idea what the Magi would have brought to represent this spiritual gift.
All these spiritual gifts led me to be who I am: a teacher. As a teacher, I spend my life searching, learning about and from other people, and guiding them as they walk along their own paths. This brings me back to you, dear reader. What would the Magi have brought you?