A few years ago there were some interesting surprises in children's Xmas toys. It was described in the NY Times on the day before the new year. Perhaps some of you caught it...went something like this:

"Your son tears the wrapping paper of his fierce new "Talking Duke" G.I. Joe doll and eagerly presses the talk button. Out comes a painfully chirpy voice that sounds astonishingly like Barbie's saying: "Let's go shopping!"

Duke, in his camouflage outfit, complete with helmet and other established macho war accessories, had his voice box switched with a "Teen Talk" Barbie. A small performance artist group in Manhattan administered this surgery to some 300 Barbie and Talking Duke G.I. Joe dolls, returning them to shelves in NY and CA for a second purchase.

And so some unsuspecting gift givers and receivers witnessed "Teen talk" Barbies clad in frilly clothing, billowing hair, impossible figure, meant to establish femininity, standing all cute and pure shouting, "Eat lead, Cobra!", "Attack!" "Vengeance Is Mine" with blood curdling attack noises. The G.I. Joe's, standing firm, ready for action, intoning, "Will we ever have enough clothes?", "Let's plan our dream wedding!"

The saboteurs identified themselves with an accompanying pamphlet in the package. They called themselves the BLO, the Barbie Liberation Organization, formed in collective concern over an earlier "Teen talk" Barbie model whose dialogue included, "Math class is hard."

Mattel did pull the math class remark from the earlier talking Barbie model after educational groups protested that they were stereotyping women as unable to fathom numbers; but the continued monologues of both dolls, encouraging limited male and female roles, condoning violence and sexism, spurred this small performance artist group in Manhattan to take action and administer the gift of shock therapy.

BLO's creativity was met with mixed reviews -- as you might imagine. Some felt it was terrorism on unsuspecting children, others, of course, wondered about the legality. G.I. Joe's corporate creator was amused but undaunted, doubting it would affect the company's sale of millions of dolls each year. A vice president commented: "We think it's kind of ridiculous. G.I. Joe and Barbie have been around for decades and are a part of Americana."

Well, yes, that's the point...BLO was lifting up the imagery of "Americana" being promoted in the millions to children and their parents. They were demonstrating the power of suggestion in this time honored "Americana", for greater awareness.

Now to my knowledge, this rude interruption of Americana has not influenced a new Teen Barbie doll who might say, for example, "Let's plan our campaign strategy for class president". Or a talking G.I. Joe asserting "put your weapons down,let's try and talk this through!" And yet this effort impacted enough to attain national coverage; due to superb timing and, perhaps, the voicing of a dissatisfaction shared by far more people than assumed.

The BLO's gift was a rare treat, reminding me of the many ways we can communicate with one another. I was touched and inspired by the ability to mix humor and ingenuity in such an effective way so that I could feel hope in a larger sense for our future. And that's what gifts can do, they can open windows to deeper connections and mutual understanding. They can say, 'I see you, and here's a little bit of me.'

Twelve more shopping days till Christmas. Hanukkah begins today, Advent has passed, Kwanzaa and New Year's yet to come. Ah yes. The familiar deadlines, which merchandisers count on and purchasers worry about. A deadline which brings about the chance to be creative, to express love and friendship, to receive something new or different. A deadline which can also bring anxiety of finding the right thing or receiving the wrong thing with proper appreciation.

This holiday season carries with it the pull of cultural rhythms, the obligation of family rhythms and the power of religious rhythms. Whether you are ready or not, the aura of giving and receiving surrounds us, the challenge to hope beckons us, and the reminder to cherish each other can tend to crowd us...

And so here, in this space, at this time, I thought we could take a break from the heightened energies and negotiating moods surrounding gifts to honor what's already in this room, with or without the holiday fanfare...the variety of gifts ever present and possible in our lives: the individual expressions of the gift of life itself. For this precious time together let us keep in mind Emerson's thought that "the only gift is a portion of thyself." I am talking of spiritual gifts...intuitive gifts...the genius within.

"There is deep power in which we exist and whose beatitude is accessible to us," Emerson wrote, "every moment when the individual feels invaded by it is memorable...The soul's health consists in the fullness of its reception..." he insists, "within us is the soul of the whole; the wise silence, the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related...when it breaks through our intellect, it is genius; when it breathes through our will, it is virtue; when it flows through our affections, it is love."

Spiritual gifts are the expression of that deep power, known differently in each one of us. They emerge far more through trust than control, far more often by giving than by getting, and almost always by risking rather than preserving.

It is no wonder that the magi were named after the Greek root for "magic". Those legendary wise folk whose story originated the Christian tradition of giving gifts on Christmas were metaphors for the giving and receiving of this deep power. The gold, frankincense and myrrh are tokens of the land they come from, but the gifts that last are the journey, the offering and the giving over of self.

In the gospel of Matthew, the Magi were said to have come from the East, scholars pinpoint the probable characterization of a priestly caste from Persia, perhaps Zoroastrians, probably astrologers, who followed the star of Bethlehem as a great sign of change coming into being. They were commonly believed to be Gentiles, unaware of the prophecy of the Messiah, but drawn to this stable because of the greater cosmic pull toward expectation of something great on its way.

Star worship was condemned as idolatry in ancient Israel and the recognition of a great one by Gentiles was subject to suspicion. Wise men in Biblical context were people who were concerned with knowledge about the principles governing the world and the life of an individual. These wise men were set up as exceptions to the rule to further emphasize the drama, to bring the birth of Jesus into the realm of the world, rather than a particular culture.

The story of the magi is a story about the breaking of barriers. Foreigners crossing into a strange land at considerable risk of their own. Gentiles paying respect to the birth of a Jew. Astrologers, usually shunned, honored for their pagan wisdom, bringing riches from a far away land.

How do we bring our gifts out so that they meet the deep power? There are riches in far away lands -- potential in the unknown -- trust that it is there. There is magic in the crossing over, risking the opening of windows to view a world not seen before and not yet fully known. Welcome your natural courage. And in our giving of ourselves we break the barriers that keep us distanced from one another. In our most sincere offerings we engage the greater possibility yet to fully be.

"This is the most important experience in the life of every human being," Abraham Heschel reminds us, "something is asked of me. Every human being has had a moment in which a sense of the mysterious was reachable."

The holidays can be a strain for those struggling to find that inner grace. The December imperative to celebrate can hit hard on those who do not feel like celebrating or can not find the time to take notice. Painful qualities in our family history can emerge, loneliness can intensify and we can feel the empty distance from loved ones. This time of emphasizing our ability to love can bring images of those loved ones we have lost. The emphasis on giving can remind us all too well of jobs lost, bonuses cut, or times when both giving and receiving seemed easier.

It is in those times especially that we need to find a way to break the pattern of our lives into a freer, more liberating movement; regenerate the journey with a lightened heart and a hopeful spirit. To do this we must take a leap of faith...break the safe barriers that keep us sure of our footing and venture forth into the unknown...for there we will find ourselves. For when we give over to the mystery, we let go of our own expectations and enter the realm of possibility. When we give over to our possibility we can then feel ourselves come alive, born into a deeper and wider connection to the potential of our lives. Offer something familiar, yes, but venture somewhere unknown, somewhere that you intuitively know could bring new life to your dreams. Something that will give a broader perspective to your world. Therein your truth lies and it will liberate your soul.

The knowledge of our gifts, spiritual and material, may be heightened during this holiday season, and, in part, these times call us to account, but there is no deadline to make your spiritual gifts known and received. It is an on- going process of discovery and acceptance, practiced and realized in times like these, but never complete nor defined in a single moment of time.

*** Introduce meditation (If you had one gift to give to the world, what would it be?)*****

Affirm life, enrich life, promote life...that's what we're here for. And we have a variety of gifts to get us there. Let your spirit thrive and help others do the same. So may it be. Amen.

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