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Black Friday, Cyber Monday.

A couple of key days that in some ways launches us into the Christmas season.

Has Christmas become more commercial than celebratory? As we prepare to purchase gifts, are we thinking of Christ? Are we thinking of the reason why God gave His most precious Son? Do our motives for gift giving reflect and radiate to those receiving anything close to the motives of our heavenly Father? Have we ever thought about why this season has been tagged and/or promoted as the season of giving?

I’m sorry. I had a temporary lap in remembering who I’ve the grace to be communicating with. Of course, you have and you have come to the same conclusion that I have.

Being deemed the season of giving has arisen because of the greatest gift that has or ever will be given. That is the person and personality of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

God really set the standard of gift giving.

He truly gave a gift from His heart.

Have we as a society taken the heart out of this season?

I enjoy the holidays and the heightened sense of family engagement. I enjoy the pajama jammy jam, gift exchanges and gaining weight from all of the great cooking and baking that hits the dinner table. Still, with all of that, it’s the love that is shared with family (by blood or by love) that makes this season of holidays so enjoyable.

What are holidays without family? What are celebrations without having family to share them with? What really makes this season joyful and festive? If we don’t put up a tree, is it still festive? If we don’t receive a gift, is it still joyful? If we don’t have Ham, Mac & Cheese, Gumbo, cake, pies and all the fixings, is it still Christmas?

God gave and Jesus came not only because they are related, they have a relationship and desires to have one with us.

It’s God who has chosen to make us related, it’s up to us to make the relationships work. This year, let’s celebrate the second greatest gift God could give us and that’s family.

Rev. Demetrius Moffett is Senior Pastor of Orange Church of God-Embassy of Grace, 1911 North 16th Street in Orange.