We are moving into the holidays. Everyone seems to be focused on Black Friday, a great time to buy their Christmas presents. Afterall, isn't that what Christmas is all about - GIVING presents to family, friends, and the 'needy'?
Maybe there is another way to view Christmas. Maybe it's more about presence? "and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Jesus, the Word, the ultimate rationale, became physically present to the world. This was God's strategy, to be present. However, was Jesus more than just physically on earth? Is the presence of God beyond just a physical person? Christmas may be more about receiving God's presence, Jesus, as a gift to our soul rather than us giving each other physical presents?
We hear some people claim their life's goal is to "show up." Does this mean "being present"? What does this all mean to us as we desire to be strategic, win, be successful in life?
Good question.
The idea of "being present" must mean something other than physical presence. This only leaves emotional, cognitive and willful presence. Let's explore this psychological idea of "being present" vs the physical. You may feel this is deep, but its more just you hadn't thought about time in this way often, if at all.
St Augustine believed how we view time is very important. He wrote about time in his famous autobiographical essays called "Confessions." Augustine claims that there is no such thing as now or "the present." Follow me here, this can have profound impact for you. It's not just a mental exercise.
Augustine believed (and I'm paraphrasing) that once the present is here now becomes the past and right before now happens, the present moment is the future. A mathematician would say it this way, "now is the least upper bound of all instances of gaps in time between now and past instances and the lower bound of all instances of gaps in time between now and future instances. So, the present does not exist itself but is the 'limit' (math term) on two converging series of time lapses from now of moments in time, the past and future."
You may be totally confused by now, but that's ok. Here is why this is important strategically for you even if you don't understand present this way.
With respect to time, the instances that are most salient or relevant to you are the ones that just happened and the ones about to happen. These are the aspects of time that should most influence your thoughts, emotions and choices. "Being in the moment" is having you attention focused mainly, if not entirely, on the immediate moments around now. Learning from the instances that has just occurred and preparing for the instances that will occur in a very short order.
Navy Seals are taught this about "being in the moment." When Jesus says, "Seek ye first" he is referencing what should be the most salient to us, or to be that which occupies our mind above all other things. It may be why He follows this with, "don't be anxious about tomorrow."
So, what did God do at what we celebrate as Christmas? He became present. This was His greatest love for us. So then, what can we best do for those we love? Be present rather than give presents. What is the best strategy for life? Is not the right planning so that spectacular things occur in the future but rather spectacular presence that delivers the right future.
