Theology of a Baby Shower

This past December my wife and I were the recipients of a beautiful baby shower thrown by the ladies in our church. It was overwhelming in many respects.

The sheer volume of people who attended, along with the number of gifts, was breathtaking. It’s one thing to preach and teach about the importance of being a generous giver and gracious recipient of blessings; it’s another to be on the receiving end, surrounded by dozens of smiling faces and delicately wrapped gifts.

Attending our own shower represented a unique moment in our story. The many years of struggle that led to our improbable adoption story was soon to culminate in the arrival of our son. And many of our closest friends had gathered to celebrate with us.

Now our son has arrived, but gifts and meals continue to appear at our door. These gestures make us feel profoundly loved. But I also wonder about the macro-level impact of such forms of generosity.

What if modern societies had this generosity of spirit and encouraging attitude…