This time of year is holy to many. Have you ever wondered why so many religious buildings and sacred sites use GOLD to adorn their structures? Gold represented not only beauty, rarity, and value but also sacrifice of the people who built the religious spaces. To incorporate gold into their structures meant taking resources away from their private lives. Because of the sacrificial nature of the gift, to use gold in the construction of an idol was insulting. The family resources would have been devoted to a false belief.
Gold is frequently mentioned in the scriptures of the three world religions that came from the Mideast. Moses discovered a golden calf being molded and worshipped during the time he was receiving the Ten Commandments. Jesus was welcomed by the foreign wise men with a gift of gold. The second temple of the Jewish people in Jerusalem used gold extensively. There are several golden domes atop mosques throughout the world. Buddhist temples use gold frequently in their exterior features.
In addition to gold, another valuable commodity used in the construction of these religious facilities was time. Major places of worship often took decades to construct and were meant to be used permanently. The use of gold, whether given as a gift to a newborn king or to a woman in marriage or as a gold pocket watch to a retiree is a measure of the giver’s esteem for the recipient.
The holiday season brings out in us a desire to give gifts of value to those we love. Today all of us have an opportunity to give gifts more valuable than gold. Among these the most precious may be that of time. An afternoon spent with an elderly neighbor, a jar of home-made jam for a friend, a simple smile while listening to a stranger on the bus are gifts that cannot be purchased. While the afternoon is soon over, the jam is eaten, and the bus pulls up to your stop, your gift of attention lingers in the memories of those lucky enough to receive it.
One last golden nugget for this holiday season. Remember to tuck some time into the stockings as well as the candies. A coupon for a manicure for two may be the perfect gift for a teenage daughter or a game of bowling for the whole family may be just the right size. Time is golden and while it is finite and fleeting, your time is the one gift that only you can give.
