The world is lost in extreme secularism and today's generation has become captive of unrestrained materialism, so much so, that gifts are no longer what they should be. People have forgotten the real meaning of Christmas and gifts are being used as instruments for bribery, a tool for business promotion, or an act of unabashed corruption, evidently intended to influence decision-makers to award billions worth of project, or even to acquit a mass murderer or release a convicted serial killer and rapists. Even the Church at times is led to lavish and ostentatious spending out of gifts and donations, while the poor cry in utmost poverty and hunger.
If we return to the true meaning of giving, we should realize that gifts are no less than genuine expressions of compassion, concern, care, affection, and of course, love. And it must be a free, voluntary and spontaneous outpouring of caring, devoid of any selfish motive. You do not give gifts because you have to, but because you want to. You have decided to give, with full knowledge, with total freedom and with absolute voluntariness. A gift that is given only because all others are giving, or because you are expected by tradition, protocol of standard operating procedure, is not a gift but a tribute from a slave to a master.
There is no authenticity in giving if a gift is only given because the giver has a pending favor that the recipient has the power to give. When an accused gives a gift to the judge, labor arbiter, or commissioner only because he has a case pending for decision, that is a bribe and not an authentic gift. A subordinate's gift to a superior in order to follow up a promotion or a salary increase is not gift but a blatant act of corruption. A superior's gift to subordinates in order to buy their loyalty or to motivate better performance is not really a gift but a form of subtle manipulation.
Gifts are not authentic when they are solicited, pressured upon or even coerced. When purchasing officers demand gifts from suppliers and outsourcing service contractors, the expensive packages are not gifts but bribes. They are not given out of affection but out of fear of rejection. When brokers give customs officials free trips to Hong Kong or Singapore, these are not gifts but obvious acts of corruption. When accountants give some Boracay or Palawan leisure packages to internal revenue officials, complete with starlets and cash, only fools would call them genuine gifts. We were not born yesterday. Bribery stinks even in the season of Advent.
The true philosophy of a genuine gift giving has been exemplified by the Father Himself who gave His only son to an unworthy world. He has no favor to ask from us. And we do not deserve the gift at all. It is freely given, with no string attached. It has also been shown by the three wise men who travelled long and hard to seek out the manger and offered their gifts. They had no favor to ask. They did not expect to be recompensed.
The authentic philosophy of gift-giving is one that flows spontaneously from the heart of the giver. This Christmas, it will serve us well to go back to the real meaning, and purpose of giving. Otherwise, all will just be in vain.