Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (God is with us). Isa 7:14 (NIV)
Giving More – Tear Series – Part 1
Go to PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7
All around the world, Christians are beginning to celebrate Advent: the expectation of the coming of Christ. I’ve been challenged to dig into the meaning of the Christmas story more than I previously have. And the more I do, the more I feel that the modern world (including the Christian one) has gone “off message” when it comes to Christmas. Why did Christ come? How did he impact the community he was born into? And what does it mean for us today?
I’m not finding the answers to these questions in toy store aisles, tables laden with Christmas food, and decorations hanging around my house. Christmas shows me the generosity of God, how he emptied himself to pour into humanity.
As Saint Francis said, “The incarnation is already redemption”, a gift given freely and graciously.
What do we do with the gift?
One organization and movement that helps answer that question is “Tear Australia.” We’ve teamed up with them to bring you some stories and ideas to help tease out the true meaning of Christmas, and make it come alive in our hearts all the more.
Here’s a bit about them:
“It's 1994. Bryan Adams' “Please forgive me” is number 1 on the Aussie charts, Christopher Skase is arrested in Spain and phone numbers are about to get an extra digit. In Melbourne, TEAR's then National Director Steve Bradbury is becoming increasingly frustrated at the growing commercialisation of Christmas.
Inspired and agitated, Steve and a small team created an educational resource to put the focus of Christmas back on the call of Christ to serve the poor.
TEAR's Useful Gifts Catalogue was born, and quite by accident, became one of the world's most successful fundraising concepts.
The times have changed – and so have the gifts, but underneath it all, TEAR Australia remains committed to the idea that giving more ‘stuff' isn't what the world needs. Giving more usefully is.
Inspired by Jesus' call to love our neighbors, regardless of background or belief, we focus on projects that seek to improve the lives of the poorest and most marginalized people, uniting communities and empowering men and women as they work together to direct their own future.
TEAR Australia is a movement of Christians in Australia responding to the needs of poor communities around the world. Our motivation comes from our belief that God loves all people, and in Christ offers them the opportunity of a new life. We believe that God is just, and has particular care for the poor and those who suffer as victims of injustice.
We work in partnership with other Christian groups, including churches, relief and development agencies and community-based organizations, which are working with the poor in their communities. We seek to build effective relationships with these partners, grounded in mutual respect, trust and accountability.
Priority is given to those programs that strive to involve the most marginalized and exploited members of each community, regardless of their religious or political beliefs.
There are no TEAR offices overseas. Instead, TEAR has more than 130 partners – community-based Christian groups, churches, and relief and development agencies – in Africa, South and South-East Asia, the Pacific and in Indigenous Australia.
These committed, local professionals work alongside disadvantaged people – of many faiths and cultures – in their own countries, to run a variety of long-term integrated development projects tailored to meet community needs and address community problems.”
Giving more stuff isn’t what the world needs. Giving more usefully is. Giving for gift's sake is fast becoming the Christmas way.
A transforming Advent consideration could be this: Let’s reclaim the original redemptive nature of Christmas (Immanuel: God with us) and seek to give in the spirit of restoration and generosity; for us, our loved ones, and for those who need it most.
What do you think about the gift-giving for Christmas? Email us at talktous@pktfuel.com or leave a comment below.
You can find out more about TEAR Australia here:
tear.org.au
usefulgifts.org
fortomorrow.org.au
Facebook.com/tearaus
Insta: @tearaustralia
Twitter: @TEARAustralia
Go to Part 2 – Biblical Justice »
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