Spreading Joy this May Day
*Ding-dong* “RUN!!!” Mark and I loved May Day growing up! It’s one of those holidays that flies under the radar nowadays, and the practice of giving May Day baskets seems to be a fleeting tradition. But at least in our little neighborhood near Fairmeadows Elementary in the mid-90s, May Day was kind of a big deal. For those of you unfamiliar with the tradition, here’s the gist: you make up a bunch of small gift baskets containing some combination of treats, handwritten notes of appreciation, and any other random stuff you think your friends would enjoy. Then you deliver the simple, homemade gifts to your friends by placing them on the front porch, ringing the doorbell, and running away ding-dong-ditch style, trying not to get caught in the act.
Sitting at the dining room table, craft supplies and treats strewn around the room, we’d spend the better part of the morning constructing the ideal May Day baskets to deliver to our friends. “What kind of candy would Max like?!” “What should we write in our note to Alison and Alex?” “Should we make one for Kelli?” “Mom... are there enough of these chocolate chip cookies for us to have some or do we have to share them all?!” After the design and assembly phase came the plotting and scheming phase. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP... it’s vital to the success of the scheme. Even the most amateur of May Day-ers know you don’t just walk up to the door without a proper escape strategy :) All in all, it made for a fun day centered around the task of bringing our friends joy.
And at its simplest and its best, that’s what May Day is all about: spreading joy and celebrating the start of a new season. It’s an occasion for us to practice generosity, to communicate our appreciations and affections, and—if we do it right—to rediscover in ourselves a God-given playfulness hardwired into every creature. I like to imagine, then, that Jesus would have appreciated the May Day basket tradition (gifts and ding-dong-ditching and all) as a tangible way of showing our friends we love them. Here’s how Jesus puts it:
So basically, the way to ensure complete joy is to love God and love our friends with the same love Jesus has shown us. As challenging a task as that might seem given how perfect Jesus’ love is and how clumsy our own attempts at love can be, the call of our faith as Christians is to spend our entire lives increasing in love and Christ-likeness. It’s okay to start small. So, in a minute I’ll invite you to do something intentional on May Day to spread joy. Before I leave you to it, though, here are some lessons I’ve learned from May Day to get you started:
When it comes to spreading joy, the more inexpensive and more homemade or personal it is, the better. A simple gesture thoughtfully prepared goes further in communicating our appreciation and affection than the most expensive, impersonal act.
Joy begets joy. Proverbs puts it like this: “A joyful heart is good medicine for the spirit” (Proverbs 17:22).
Giving ourselves to others through quality time together or acts of servanthood is the single greatest way to show our love. The Bible describes this kind of love by using the word kenosis, meaning “self-emptying.” In life and in death, Jesus’ way of loving was always self-emptying, always other-oriented (see Philippians 2), so ours should be too.
*Bonus tip: Knocking on the door instead of ringing the doorbell will buy you an extra few seconds to make your getaway!
Alright, you’re ready! In sending Jesus to be our exemplar, God has already given you everything you need to succeed in the project of loving others well. So, as promised, here’s your invitation: This May Day (May 1st), think of something simple you can do to practice generosity and spread joy. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Maybe that means picking up the phone and calling/texting a friend just to check in. Maybe it looks like you writing a kind message in chalk on the driveway, or leaving a note of appreciation on your mailbox for the mailperson to notice. Or, if you want to give the May Day basket thing a go, then get out there and ding-dong-ditch the people you love in the name of increasing joy and generosity! Whatever you choose, this May Day (and every day afterward) let’s commit to keeping Jesus’ commandment to love one another by spreading joy one simple, thoughtful act at a time.
