大象传媒

A spritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Bishop David Walker

What gift do you bring?

Good morning

Back when my mother ran a small record shop, a short bus ride from Manchester, the pattern of trading through these early days of January was unique to the season. It was driven by a combination of gift tokens being redeemed and unwanted presents being swapped. In both cases the customer鈥檚 wish was to exchange what they had for something more closely attuned to their musical preferences. Many of us will have issued a sigh of relief that the peak period of present purchasing is now over for almost a year. Getting gifts right is not always easy, tokens can be the safer alternative..

Honouring another, by offering them presents, is not only a ubiquitous human attribute, it鈥檚 a feature we share with members of the wider animal kingdom. I like to think it鈥檚 what my cat sought to do by depositing dead rodents under my study desk. Her gifts may have been far from 鈥渏ust what I always wanted鈥�, but they were an expression of her skills and abilities. As were the hand made culinary creations that formed my children鈥檚 efforts, though these latter were normally a little more edible than mice.

What I鈥檝e learned, not least as a son and father, is that the best present is one that says something about the giver whilst also attending to the recipient鈥檚 needs and wants.

And so today I pray. God grant me this day three things - to give of myself, through the exercise of those gifts and talents first given to me,

to be sensitive to the needs and wishes of all who will receive what I offer,

And above all that I might give generously, and in love.

Amen.

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