Second Thursday in Advent -- Will Willimon
A Reflection on Will Willimon’s The God We Hardly Knew (pp. 141-49)
One of the wonderful Advent traditions in our parish is something we call “a Giving Tree.” It is a lovely Christmas tree that adorns the entrance to the parish office that, in addition to the usual decorations and lights, also has dozens of notecards hanging on its branches. On each notecard is the name of a young child in the community whose parents may not be able to afford to buy him or her gifts, as well as a gift idea for the child. Parishioners are invited to stop by the “Giving Tree,” pick out a card, and purchase a gift for the child.
The thought behind the tradition, of course, is that generosity, and caring for others, are themes of the Advent and Christmas seasons, and that one way for families to teach children about the realities of economic inequality and the importance of sharing is by participating in this fun and well-meaning activity.
All of this is a good thing and as it should be. But, Will Willimon asks in his Advent reflection, might a hidden danger lurk here if we begin to let our acts of generosity slip into an attitude of noblesse oblige, an unconscious assumption that we might be nobler than those to whom we give, and nobler still by reason of our giving?
Before we can give without guile, suggests Willimon, it helps first to see ourselves as receivers, to recognize our dependence upon God’s giving. The truth is all of us are in need, are impoverished in some way, and have what we have only by the grace of God. The strange story of the Incarnation, says Willimon, “tells us how to be receivers. The first word of the church, a people born of so odd a nativity, is that we are receivers before we are givers. Discipleship teaches us the art of seeing our lives as gifts.” (147)
It is often hard for us to see ourselves in need, as requiring help. It is harder still sometimes to recognize a gift from God even when it is before our eyes. “This is often the way God loves us: with gifts we thought we didn’t need, which transform us into people we don’t necessarily want to be. With our advanced degrees, armies, government programs, material comforts and self-fulfillment techniques, we assume that religion is about giving a little of our power in order to confirm to ourselves that we are indeed as self-sufficient as we claim. Then, this stranger comes to us, blesses us with a gift, and calls us to see ourselves as we are – empty-handed recipients of a gracious God who, rather than leave us to our own devices, gave us a baby.” (149)
None of this, of course, is to say we should stop giving. It is, rather, a deep reflection on whence comes our desire to give – does it come from a place of gratitude for all we have been given, or does it express a secret desire to earn God’s favor by trying to impress Him with our goodness?
William Henry Willimon (b. 1946) is an American theologian and bishop in the United Methodist Church, who served the North Alabama Conference. He is currently Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at Duke Divinity School.
One of the wonderful Advent traditions in our parish is something we call “a Giving Tree.” It is a lovely Christmas tree that adorns the entrance to the parish office that, in addition to the usual decorations and lights, also has dozens of notecards hanging on its branches. On each notecard is the name of a young child in the community whose parents may not be able to afford to buy him or her gifts, as well as a gift idea for the child. Parishioners are invited to stop by the “Giving Tree,” pick out a card, and purchase a gift for the child.
The thought behind the tradition, of course, is that generosity, and caring for others, are themes of the Advent and Christmas seasons, and that one way for families to teach children about the realities of economic inequality and the importance of sharing is by participating in this fun and well-meaning activity.
All of this is a good thing and as it should be. But, Will Willimon asks in his Advent reflection, might a hidden danger lurk here if we begin to let our acts of generosity slip into an attitude of noblesse oblige, an unconscious assumption that we might be nobler than those to whom we give, and nobler still by reason of our giving?
Before we can give without guile, suggests Willimon, it helps first to see ourselves as receivers, to recognize our dependence upon God’s giving. The truth is all of us are in need, are impoverished in some way, and have what we have only by the grace of God. The strange story of the Incarnation, says Willimon, “tells us how to be receivers. The first word of the church, a people born of so odd a nativity, is that we are receivers before we are givers. Discipleship teaches us the art of seeing our lives as gifts.” (147)
It is often hard for us to see ourselves in need, as requiring help. It is harder still sometimes to recognize a gift from God even when it is before our eyes. “This is often the way God loves us: with gifts we thought we didn’t need, which transform us into people we don’t necessarily want to be. With our advanced degrees, armies, government programs, material comforts and self-fulfillment techniques, we assume that religion is about giving a little of our power in order to confirm to ourselves that we are indeed as self-sufficient as we claim. Then, this stranger comes to us, blesses us with a gift, and calls us to see ourselves as we are – empty-handed recipients of a gracious God who, rather than leave us to our own devices, gave us a baby.” (149)
None of this, of course, is to say we should stop giving. It is, rather, a deep reflection on whence comes our desire to give – does it come from a place of gratitude for all we have been given, or does it express a secret desire to earn God’s favor by trying to impress Him with our goodness?
William Henry Willimon (b. 1946) is an American theologian and bishop in the United Methodist Church, who served the North Alabama Conference. He is currently Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at Duke Divinity School.
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