A Box Full Of Kisses, THE LIGHTHOUSE ON THE CORNER MINISTRIES

A Box Full Of Kisses

There once was a Father who on one Christmas Eve, observed his young daughter attempting to wrap a large box with gold wrapping paper that she had found in the meager collection of supplies that her Mother had purchased. Money was tight that Christmas and the Father, concerned that the daughter not waste what little paper they had, scolded the child severely for her actions.

The next morning, when it was time to open presents, the daughter went directly and removed from under the tree, that same box, obviously wrapped by inexperienced little hands in expensive gold paper. With great excitement she presented that box to her father and told him, "This is just for you Daddy."

The man carefully removed the paper, hoping to salvage as much of the expensive paper as possible so that it could be reused and not go to waste and then he opened the box only to find it completely empty. The Father was outraged! "Don't you know that there is supposed to something in the box when you give presents," he yelled as he scolded the child, telling her how rude it was of her to give an empty box as a gift.

As tears of disappointment ran down her little cheeks the little girl looked up at her Daddy and softly said, "But Daddy, the box is not empty, it is full of kisses that I blew into it, just for you. And when I am gone away you can take them out one by one."

The man immediately realized the sincerity of his child and was devastated by his own rash reaction. With tears welling up in his own eyes he took the child into his arms, hugged her tightly and asked for her forgiveness.

It is said to this day he keeps that old box with gold paper partially removed, that which he now considers his most prized possession, and on occasion opens it and silently looks in it at the greatest gift given to him by the sincere and innocent heart of a child.

Is not that box full of kisses emblematic of the greatest gift ever given to mankind?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotton Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Yes God has given us many gifts, and like that empty box, many of the most blessed gifts he has given us are the intangible, the gifts that we cannot see, but we know by our faith and in our hearts that those most wonderful gifts are just as real as the ones that we can see, touch, feel and smell. But like the Man in the story, who was at first infuriated at his Daughter for infringing on his doctrine of waste not want not, many of us today are blinded by doctrine that hurts the sincere and innocent.

I recently read a sermon on the Internet by a minister who was openly critical of the Free Church movement. He offered it as his opinion that what made the Free Churches so attractive to so many people was the departure from traditional doctrine. He went on to say that every well-regulated institution needed rules and guidelines to maintain order and discipline, and while this concept of maintaining order and discipline appears to have merit, we must consider the underlying motives, the hidden agenda, behind the false façade. We must consider the actions of the people that are so desperately trying to hold onto the old doctrines that have been used for too many years to control the laity.

Instead of reacting like the Father in the story of the box full of kisses, why can we not use the wisdom of King Solomon in setting rules and doctrine in our homes and houses of worship, rules that are emblematic of the love and inclusiveness of the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rules have been made in the past that were simply based on a single person's theology or that of a minority and then enforced on a majority. Whole races of humans have been annihilated due to rules made by man, terrible atrocities and acts of genocide, all in the name of God and the church. How as a modern society we cannot see that other faiths, other denominations might have a different name for God and Christ. Why do we condemn the customs and ceremonies of other faiths, traditions that might seem alien to us due to the differences of theirs and that which we are accustomed too, even when we know they still worship the same Devine entities that we do.

Why is it in the dawning years of this the twenty-first century that mankind is still not sufficiently advanced socially and morally to finally recognize that part of Christ's ministry that taught we are one people, all children of all mighty God? Could it be time to reevaluate our rules, our doctrines, just as in the case of the Father who had to change his position on the use of the gold wrapping paper his innocent child used to wrap his box full of kisses?

Do you know someone who feels that only through their particular denomination can salvation be obtained, perhaps they have even told you that unless you join their church and accept their "rules" you will suffer condemnation, don't fret or rise to anger, just smile and remember this story and John 3:16.

Reverend Ed Crabtree

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