Thursday of the Second Week of Advent

The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous are generous in giving.
Psalm 37:22

The Advent road is bumpy, marred by jagged patches of deception I honestly think this is true every year as we count the “shopping days” left until Christmas, but this year it seems the not-really-at-all-subtle advertising about what we can purchase to make us happy and make all the pain go away is relentless.

It comes back to scarcity and abundance. When I believe in an economy of scarcity, I become a taker. I know myself. When I feel worried, or fearful, or left on my own, I count how much is available and try my best to hold onto enough of whatever it is so that I won’t come up short.

But God’s economy is one of abundance, where giving away is the key to being full. Give away love, give away joy, give away peace—and what happens? When we are generous, we find ourselves in right relationship with God. And then of course with everyone else.

Image by Zorro4 from Pixabay