Me and Mine and the Order of Love

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Blessing is not meant to be hoarded or contained. What we are given is meant to be shared. That idea runs deep in the Hebrew imagination, even if none of us live up to it perfectly. Blessing, at its core, is outward-facing.

That matters in a moment when so much of our public and private life is shaped by me and mine. Christian thought offers the idea of Ordo Amoris, the order of loves, to help us name our real obligations and responsibilities. We do have different levels of commitment to different people. I have greater obligations to my children than to my neighbour. But ordered love is never meant to excuse indifference. Love does not stop with me and mine.

That’s what Simeon realizes when he finally holds the Christ child. The glory of Israel is not meant to stay with Israel. It is a light for everyone, everywhere. Good news for us must become good news for those near us. If it doesn’t, it isn’t really gospel.

Christmas exposes this tension clearly. It’s right to critique excess and consumerism, and it’s also true that I want my kids to be excited about Christmas morning. I want them to enjoy the gifts and the memories. But more than that, I hope that over time, every good gift they receive teaches them that what comes to them can also become something good for others.

Because it’s easy to get what we want. It’s much harder to become who we want to be. And at its best, Christmas can help us learn the difference.