Who can deny the yuletide spirit sweeping across the globe, getting into the nerves of young and old, rich and poor, making this season the busiest season of year, culminatinginto massive shopping event!In this madness who cares to think about the purpose and the meaning of celebration?The questions like, who do not celebrate Christmas becomes more relevant than the questions like, how and why should we celebrate Christmas! It is quite unfortunate to note that the meaning of Christmas which is ebbing and drowning away from us is given little or no importance at all. The celebration whichsupposed to circle around the birth of Christ has little relevance if we look at the growing trends of celebration.Let’s hold our horses for a while and listen to the stories of Christmas before we really indulge into the most awaiting celebration of year. If we trace back to the history, the book of Genesis clearly tells us that we have a legacy left to us by our first parents, “A legacy of a broken relationship”. And God the almighty was not happy with the broken relationship.The state of God’s unhappiness is clearly reflected in His effort to re-build the broken relationship. The Bible says God gave everything to re-build this relationship, His love for mankind so deep that He didn’t spare His own son to be sent as a ransom. Romans (8: 32) says, “He who did not spare His own son but gave Him up for us all.”If we look at the meaning of the above verse it is loud and clear that Christmas is a time to celebrate the unconditional love of Godthat demonstrated on this Christmas Day, to reconcileand save mankind from eternal damnation.
Today,when we think of Christmas it’s all about shopping, arranging, visiting, hosting wrapping, decorating and so on… what a contrast with the first the Christmas! the announcement of Jesus birth was dramatic and brilliant, came with no preparation on the part of the shepherds, Mary and Joseph did not whip up a banquet or deck the hall of Bethlehem, no invitations were written, no gifts were purchased no programs arranged, Just a humble birth and the midnight visitation by the obedient shepherds. Some of us may say,had I been there! How quick I would have to help the baby, I would have open the door wide for Mary and Joseph, I would have wash the linens, how happy would have been to go with shepherds to see the Lord lying in the manger!We would say these because now we know who Christ is, but had we been there at that time I don’t think we would have done anything better than the people of Bethlehem! But the good news is that, God is giving us another opportunity to be grateful as we all look forward to celebrate this coming Christmas.
Well I am not completely against the idea of material celebration but I feel focusing too much on the entertainment would certainly kill the purpose celebration. Given a choice I would certainly vouch for some entertainment in our celebration but I feel we should be creative enough to re-create the meaning Christmas in our celebration and shouldn’t lost sigh to the purpose celebration. So, in this coming Christmas, may we re-create the meaning of thefirst Christmas which was based purely on the celebration of God’slove!I feel there are ample of avenues wherein we can be an agent in spreading the love God. May God help us to be a channel of blessing, may we experience the epiphany like the shepherdsas wecelebrate this coming Christmas. Wishing you all a blessed Christmas ahead!
