Christmas is coming.....

"Christmas is coming and the geese are getting fat, please put a penny in the old man's hat".
Will it happen this year? So many people are coming to the realisation that there are very difficult days ahead and giving to others might be too much. Some people are keen to quote the adage "Charity begins at home". Actually that adage goes on to say, "but doesn't stay there". Over the last number of years we have been encouraged and have been only too happy so to be so, to spend, spend and spend. Now we are realising that the good times have gone or were they the good times? Those of you who are Christian believers will know that we were created to be with people, we were created to have fellowship with other people. The creative God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit is a creative one who made each of us to be involved with one another.

No man is an island. The poet John Donne said, "No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee"

The Psalmist said much the same thing when he said "precious, in the sight of the Lord, is the death of one of His saints" [Ps 116]. That brings us to the credit crunch/recession or whatever you want to call it and the unfortunate companies who have fallen foul of the economy:the list is growing all the time, with Woolworth and MFI being the latest companies to call in the Administrator. After our greed we are reaping the fruit. That brings us to the problems of the Presbyterian Mutual Society:why have we, in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, not held our hands up and simply acknowledged that while we have no connection in law with the Mutual we have a moral obligation to stand with our brothers in distress? It is a sorry day when a church denomination decides to distance itself from brothers in distress for fear of being held responsible.

The irony is all the greater at this time of the year when we will be asking people to be generous in giving to the Presbyterian World Development Fund. The fundamental principal of a Mutual society is that all the members are accountable to each other and hep one another. When some panicked and withdrew their shares to lodge it in a bank, guaranteed by government the whole society suffered. What was intended to help everyone has let everyone down because we lost sight of our mutuality. The old man's hat is empty. We hope that everyone we get as much of their money back as possible is not all give time but if not we can always restort to that old chestnut of a question, "What Would Jesus do?"

In the early church we are told there were no poor people because when anyone had need they sold their property and gave the proceeds to the poor. What do Bible believing Christian Presbyterians, of which I am one, say to that? The challenge this Christmas for those of us who are "lucky" enough to live in the rich world, is can we have a good Christmas without as much money as usual; a question that the majority of the world have long ago come to terms with. Happy Christmas and a great new year!