Christmas thoughts

Christians the world over celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ today, Christmas Day. In Sri Lanka too, Christians will flock to Churches and engage in festivities to mark the Joyous Noel.

The message of God and Jesus Christ was Peace for All - “Seek peace and pursue it”. This message is relevant to Sri Lanka today more than at any other time, as our valiant soldiers are on the verge of annihilating terrorism and paving the way for lasting peace in our Motherland.

There is no doubt that the prospect of peace in our land will be uppermost in the minds of Christians as they pray in Churches and in their homes countrywide. They should spare a thought to the men and women in the Northern battlefield who are striving to bring peace to our resplendent isle.

It would also be not inappropriate to dwell on peace in our homes and in our inner selves, which are very much necessary to establish peace in the wider society. “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ?.” (Matthew XVI 26)

It would not be wrong to say that Christmas has become a national occasion in our multi-ethnic, multi-religious nation. Those following other religions enthusiastically participate in Christmas festivities. In most major towns, places of worship of all major religions are located practically next to each other, underlying the very essence of religious amity. This indeed, is the message of all religious leaders.

Yet, there is a real danger that many will not reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. The Christmas season is flooded by a torrent of commercialism to the point where most people have forgotten the true significance of the day. The piety of Christmas is at risk from being overtaken by decorative lights, Santas and carnivals.

The spiritual message of the great event has been drowned in the cacophony of the market place and subsumed in the glamour and external trappings. Today even symbols of Christmas are being abused and distorted.

The almost vulgar display of Santa Clauses, Nativity plays etc opposite supermarkets and shops shows the extent to which Christmas has been hijacked by unscrupulous elements. “The love of money is the root of all evil: Which while some coveted after, they have erred from the Faith.” (Timothy 6:10)

Christmas is wrongly portrayed as a season of splashing on worldly goods and generally having a ‘good time’. While there is nothing wrong in engaging in a festive splurge, we should pause a moment to reflect on the words of Jesus, who called for compassion to all.

Indeed, how many of the faithful would have harkened to the homilies and sermons delivered at midnight mass where the Chief Cleberants would have expounded on the true Christmas message of peace and joy, of giving and sharing and of sacrifice ?

While all Christians celebrate the joyous event in an outward display of opulence would it be out of place to pause in our stride and contemplate the true message of Christmas that speaks of love for one’s fellow beings and of solace to the meek and the humble.

In the melee of joyous revelry how many among us would give a thought to the circumstance of the birth of the “Prince of Peace” in a haystack manger surrounded by cows and sheep, which make the present lavish celebrations incongruous if not indecent to say the least.

The event has been used as a virtual milch cow by multinational companies to earn profits totally detracting from the spiritual message of Christmas. That an event such as the birth of Christ has been used as a play thing to be bartered in the market place shows the extent of the degeneration and greed that has made inroads into spiritual life of people.

Sadly not much noise is being made by clerics or leading figures in the Christian establishment to salvage Christmas from the clutches of these commercial interests, apart from the customary homilies enjoining the faithful to a simple Christmas.

This is therefore as good a time as any to spare a thought for our less fortunate brethren, those huddled in refugee camps, the aged and infirm, those lonely and abandoned and cast offs of society.

The time has come for all Christians to realise that Christmas means much more than the external trappings, the glitter and chrome and the tinsel and baubles that adorn our Christmas Trees.

There is a need to reach out to those rejected, who have lost hope, those dying of cancer AIDS and other incurable decease and provide them with succour as Christ did during his ministry on Earth. “Give and it shall be given to you.”

Therefore, now is the time to ponder on the true meaning of Christmas and the Words of God. Only then can the faithful aspire to the ideals espoused by Jesus Christ. “Ye Shall Know the Truth and the Truth Shall Make You Free.” (John 8:32).