Kerygma & Gifts

Now what exactly do those two have to do with each other at all?!

Yesterday’s first reading (1 Cor 12: 27-31 ) addresses the much debated aspect of spiritual gifts. Discussions in and around what 'gifts' really mean and are intended for always leave me wondering about how much we deprive the Kingdom of God when our gifts are undeveloped and not harnessed to the fullest.
 

But coming back to the topic - today my kindergartener brought the two together in that most special sweet way that only she can somehow manage :)

We were on that dreaded morning drive to school / work and traffic was chock-a-block on the Merritt Parkway at 6:30 AM!! We had an hour's commute before we could get to Stop #1.

 

 

I was teaching her the tune to the beautiful song "If you want your dreams to be..." from the movie Brother Sun Sister Moon (now she has some stake in that song - after all her patron saint St. Clare was also singing it with St. Francis as they built back a modest chapel with their bare hands).

Suddenly she asked me if she could "sing songs from her mind"

“Of course, munni”, I said.
 

And that was it - the rest of the journey was my little composer putting together the cutest of tunes in her little cherubic voice. The part that got me was the words. They were not random thoughts or lyrics picked from the context of a five year old’s life.

 

 

The very first line of the first number went "God I love you so much because you dieeeeeeeeeed for me on the cross!! You save meeeeeeeeee from sin"!!!!
 

"Claire, little Claire!!" I exclaimed, "Do you realize that your sweet song has the most important message of the Bible in it!". She gushed a little and continued “I love yoooooou so much for you dieeeed for meeeeeeee!!!".
 

That - the saving message - Kerygma - was flowing so easily, unhindered and at first pass from the unassuming mouth of a kindergartener using her beautiful voice and her 'composership' (that is what we called it for just then ;)) was a wake up jolt for me.
 

How often do I use my gifts - whatever they may be - to bring the Kerygma message to those who are thirsting for it?!