Love and peace are greatest gifts of all

REV ANNE PATON OLD PARISH CHURCH

I am keenly aware that for many people this year, money is tight, and yet a trip into East Kilbride shopping centre makes me realise that people are still spending plenty of money.

Every shop is trying to entice us to part with our hard earned cash, with displays galore of wonderful gifts.

One of my favourite Christmas stories is a short story by O’Henry.

In it he tells of a very poor couple who lived in NewYork City during the turn of the century.

They wanted so deeply to give a wonderful gift to one another, but couldn’t because they had no money. So the young man went out and sold his only valuable possession, his watch, to buy a silver hair clasp for his wife’s beautiful long hair.

You can imagine the surprise on his face when on Christmas morning he discovered that she had cut her hair and sold it to buy a chain for his watch.

The point of the story is, of course, that what is given is not nearly as important as the motivation for giving.

Some of the best gifts I have received have not been the most expensive, but have been the most thoughtful.

As a Christian, at Christmas I remember the greatest gift of all, God’s gift of his son Jesus, and I also remember that Jesus didn’t stay a baby, but grew up to be a man who changed people’s lives.

And our response to that is to love him and love our neighbour.

I hope and pray that this Christmas, people might get back to the basics and be at peace with God, with themselves and with their neighbours, and for that is the greatest gift of all.