St. Nicholas

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I remember I the year I received a mountain bike for Christmas. I was probably in 8th grade, yearning for more autonomy and mobility, and along came a mountain bike with gears and everything. It was a balmy South East Texas Christmas, so I rode to a friend's house in shorts and a t-shirt, and then all around their neighborhood until it was time to go home for Christmas dinner. I felt free on that bike.

Some of our gift-giving practices around Christmas relate back to St. Nicholas, who is remembered for giving gold to a family so their daughters could be married. The story I remember is that at the time it was needed, St. Nicholas would walk up and toss the gold right in through the window. They were liberated by his gracious act. His feast day is December 6th, but we tend to remember a plump, magical version of him on the Feast Day of Christ's Incarnation, or Christmas.

I wonder, sometimes, how our giving practices compare to St. Nicholas's. Are they given to empower those we know or love to grow into the people God has made them to be? Or are there strings attached. The gifts of St. Nicholas were not given because the young women were, "good for goodness sake." They were given because Bishop Nicholas of Myra new what it was like to be loved by his Lord Jesus, and shared that love with others. None of us can earn that love; none of us has to earn it.

God loved the cosmos into creation; that same God saw fit to put on flesh and dwell among us. Incarnation is what we call it. God was birthed into God's own creation in Jesus Christ to teach us how we are loved, to live and die as one of us, and to reconcile us to God. It's a gift, and on December 25 we celebrate that gift by giving gifts to one another. We practice love by imitating God's love. God loves us and yearns for us to become the good people we are created to be. We are invited to accept that good gift, then live our lives so others might know that love, too. Some people have never known such gracious love. St. Nicholas sets a good example to follow: give so that others are empowered to move out into life and know God's love.

I rode my mountain bike throughout High School and college. I broke the front fork twice, and replaced it both times. It carried me into young adulthood, and helped me do the things I needed to do. It was certainly an empowering gift; I'm grateful that I was so fortunate to learn about grace through that Christmas gift, and I hope I can offer that love and grace to others as we celebrate the greatest gift: Christ's Incarnation, and throughout the year.

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