Monthly Newsletter

LWI Newsletter 80 –  A Different Dimension to Giving

“Christmas is not just a time for festivity and merry-making…...It is a time for the contemplation of eternal things. The Christmas spirit is a spirit of giving and forgiving.” —J. C. Penney

The holiday season brings some of the most beautiful and peaceful days of the year. Everywhere you go, there’s a sense of transformation, with people radiating peace and joy. Christmas carols like "Joy to the World," shopping, and the exchange of gifts with loved ones all embody the spirit of this time.

At LWI, we believe this shared joy and peace reflect our true purpose. Just as an electric car runs smoothly when properly charged—but falters if filled with gasoline—so too do we thrive when we align with our true purpose. This is the essence of the joy we experience at Christmas.

These days of joy and peace center around the birth of a man named Jesus Christ, whose impact has profoundly changed the world in an unprecedented way. Even the way we measure time—BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini)—bears witness to His lasting influence. His teachings about love and sacrifice still resound in our communities even 2000 years after His birth, regardless of the different religious viewpoints in the world.

However, there is a tiny detail in this story that most people are not aware of. Before Jesus’ birth, Mary, His mother, was engaged to Joseph and preparing for the wedding. In Jewish tradition, the commitment of engagement signified a binding commitment, carrying the significance of marriage. But surprisingly, Mary got pregnant with Jesus before she had any sexual intercourse with Joseph. In Jewish culture, sexual intercourse was only approved of within marriage. So, knowing that he hadn’t had sexual intercourse with Mary, Joseph foresaw that significant problems lay ahead for Mary. She would be accused of cheating on Joseph and would be put to public shame. But the story tells us that Joseph didn’t want to disgrace her and planned to divorce her quietly.

By this, Joseph showed that he was a person of integrity, not because he focused on his interests but because he chose not to put someone else to public shame. He aimed to minimize Mary’s shame even when overwhelmed by his heavy disappointment.

Don’t you think this kind of integrity perfectly aligns with the Christmas spirit? Giving physical gifts is wonderful, but imagine if, in our daily lives, we focused on sparing our spouse, children, neighbors, or colleagues any shame, without expecting anything in return. That would add a deeper dimension to our acts of kindness and sharing.

Ultimately, this is what Jesus did on a larger scale. Through his birth and eventually His death on the cross (which we celebrate on Easter), He sacrificed His honor, reputation, and, finally, His life to obtain for us the one gift all of us desire but cannot get despite all our efforts.

We encourage you to add this new dimension to your giving this holiday season. Leading With Integrity wishes you and all your loved ones a fruitful Christmas and a very happy New Year 2025.