A Gift that Means So Much

Did you know that India has a thriving movie industry? Most movies produced in India have not had the international success of the recent “Slumdog Millionaire,” but the movie business in India, known as “Bollywood,” is relentless in its churning out of films, and has done so for decades. Actors know fame and fortune and are immortalized on film posters of a particularly unique style.

The iconic hand-painted Bollywood movie posters of yester-year have given way to digitally produced photographs with graphic imaging, but you can still purchase a hand-painted poster for your own private use. Just send a photograph of yourself, or a loved one, and the artist will paint you into the scene of any number of Bollywood classics. You, too, can be immortalized like your favorite Bollywood actor. Costs range from $1000 to $3500 for this personalized, hand-painted work of “art.” Imagine the reaction of someone who receives this as a gift - "Dear, you shouldn't have . . . I mean you really SHOULDN'T have."

Perhaps you pick up the sarcasm in my description above. When I read the article describing this new marketing ploy I had to wonder about anyone who would actually spend that kind of money on such a piece of fluff. Obviously, people have more discretionary income than I have, and they sometimes spend it with NO discretion whatsoever.

I have to be careful not to sit in self-righteous judgment of such things, but I have difficulty not joining in with the disciples in their indignation when the woman came and poured a jar of precious, costly ointment on Jesus’ feet. “This could have been sold and the money given to the poor!” they cried.

There is a difference, however, between an act of beauty given on behalf of Jesus (symbolically preparing him for burial), and the conceit of a Bollywood poster purchased for self-satisfaction (What could they be thinking?).

There are plenty of purchases that I have made that, at my income level, are probably the equivalent of a personalized Bollywood poster (well, maybe not). The market in the trivial seems to thrive in any economy.

Christmas is about two weeks ahead. I’m hoping folks might give relational gifts this year. Gifts of time spent doing what my wife likes to do. Gifts of work done for someone else’s benefit. Gifts of a listening ear for the lonely neighbor. Those are the gifts that keep on giving. That’s the kind of gift I’ve received from Jesus – the gift of himself. That’s the gift that means so much. Beats a Bollywood poster any day.