“Business!” cried the Ghost, wringing his hands again. “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”
Marley’s ghost gets to the crux of the matter. He had made his occupation, instead of people, the most important aspect of his life. He counted money instead of acts of kindness. He valued silver instead of souls. He hoarded instead of helped. Giving was not on his radar.
But giving has always been on God’s radar. And at Christmas we celebrate THE gift, the Son. The incarnation demonstrates God’s charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence toward mankind. And in celebrating are we honoring the one who gave by being like him, by being generous, by making the love of others our business?
Lingering Over Leaves 