What can I/we bring Him? . . . What might I/we bring Him? . . . What should I/we bring Him . . . What must I/we bring Him . . . ?
1. Each one of us must (can now as made possible through our new freedom in Christ, by His Spirit) reflect and bring forward the ‘gifts’ that we uniquely have to bring. This (reflection, search, finding, bringing, offering) has immediate blessing and is the ongoing happy task of the believer that extends through life and indeed into eternity. It involves passion, vocation, calling; it takes commitment and resolve, willing sacrifice (ie. leaving aside lesser things, lesser pursuits, valuable and valued as they may be).
2. One may, on behalf of one’s family, clan, or people-group, to reflect on the uniqueness of the gift(s) one is privileged to bring in the service of the King and as sign of the presense of God’s Kingdom (which is His rule - the reclamation of Creation-purposes to be yet fully realized in the New Creation). The gifts offered will be as varied and diverse as were the gifts of the magi – as complex, beautiful, stirring, challenging, mysterious as they. They will cost us everything. They will reflect who we are, what is of value to us – what we know to be of ultimate worth in our lives.
3. One may be privileged as called upon to assist other individuals, families and whole cultures as they reflect upon their own uniqueness, as created in God’s image for God’s purposes. This reflection and Holy Spirited enablement may indeed be the deepest part of the 'mission’ to which we are called. Thereby we may shine the Light that has been revealed to us so that others also are drawn to it, for further revelation and illumination of what is evil and needs to be rooted from our lives. In that light we and others may determine also the good that is to be embraced, developed, refined and used for God’s salvitic ‘new creation’ purposes in the Kingdom that has come and is yet coming.
4. While the revelation came individually (at least initially, and as promised) to Simeon, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, Simeon and Anna (though there are ‘family’ implications for the first four), the story of the shepherds and of the magi reflects a group-experience in coming as a group. The sense of individual conversion (as divorced or distinguished from family, clan or people-group) is a fairly recent, ‘modern’ development in the world’s history. The responsibility of each one to believe does not abrogate the need to see that we must also come as a whole, as a community faith in solidarity with family, friends, culture-groups. Certainly the reality of family and clans (particularly in Islamic as in other world cultures and relgions) continue to dictate to the values and responses of their lives. Family and clan solidarity must be understood if we are to shine the light deeply and widely into these cultures. Indeed, it is to be regretted that this sense of solidarity (replaced often by an individuality that is narcissistic and self-centred) has been largely lost (though not yet entirely) in the West, or where ‘Western’ values are espoused. Whole people-groups may well come to Christ still, bringing their gifts as whole families and clans. Is there a ‘least’ clan or a most ‘prominent’ clan that will come first and lead others; is there a ‘strategy’ here to consider and related aspects to ponder?
5. Particularizing this thinking to any one people group, family or clan (or a particular cultural grouping in the West), what might be entire people-groups' gifts that are to be brought to worship the King and then used for His redemptive, new-creation purposes? What by way of the following might be brought? - in its history, tradition, skills, perspective, insight, science, aspirations, commitment, values, gifts (equivalents, if not literally of, gold and frankincense and myrrh)? What resources of Kingdom-come and Kingdom-coming that reflect God’s new creation purposes may be found and yet offered by people who have not yet responded in faith to Christ (ie. how will they uniquely bring gifts as signs of restoration and of the new heavens and earth.)?
6. Certainly caring for livestock, as a necessity, as a way of life, with great affection and esteem, is characteristic of many agrarian, rural, even nomad peoples of whom we may be aware and near to.
7. How are the following Kingdom and ‘New Creation’ pursuits valid in themselves whether or not God uses them as means of grace and conduits of eternal salvation (and how may/must followers of Jesus strategically follow them? (ie. in areas of healthwelfare (clinics, hospitals, medicines and medical supplies), water (wells), justice issues, agrarian pursuits (feeding the hungry), livestock (camels), literacy (basic, ESL), poverty (micro-enterprises))?
8. Relational, befriending is how one comes alongside (i.e. offering Kingdom-hospitality and ‘communitas’ along the Journey) and not necessarily as merely an end in itself – though it too points to ‘friendship’ and society such as is experienced in knowing and being known of God (as individuals, families, and peoples), the society of the Trinity, the friendship of the Church (ideally) that respects differences but sees them as unique conduits of grace. “Strangers are just family you have yet to come to know.”
