Readings
Philippians 2:1-4
Luke 14:12-14
Reflection
I have come from great wisdom. My parents were the first people who exonerated the scripture of Luke 14:12-14 when Jesus talks about giving and inviting people to dinner (not our friends and family but the stranger, the needy and the outcast). I have some core memories of inviting “Extra’s” for Christmas lunch or for a bbq in the park or playing “Santa” the night before Christmas as we would make gifts and wrap hampers and sneak up to people’s homes and just leave the gifts by the door with no note and them wandering the next morning who it was that showed kindness. I had no idea who these people were but mum and dad did- they knew their story.
Part of my story lately is in teaching my second eldest how to drive a car (scary I know). As we are approaching the roundabout, I shared some wisdom that I learnt from Great Nana: “Give way to whoever wants it more; the same can be said not just in driving a car but in life as we approach our relationships and the people we come in contact with.
In all the small interactions we find ourselves in… give way, be humble, and let others go first… as we start to think about Christmas and how we want to prepare for it, this is something on my mind when I read the scriptures today… how can I give? Who are the people not necessarily in my life (but the stranger, the passerby, the hard to love) how can I give to them? The answer… in a humble way whoever wants it more.
“Let each of you gently consider the other as more important than yourselves” Philippians 2:1-4
Jo McDade