The View from my Window

Christmas Spirit

November 29, 1999 on 6:27 pm | In Christmas | Comments Off

                                                                 November 1999

At the outset, let me wish each and everyone a “ Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year”.  The Christmas is essentially a Christian celebration. However, due to commercialization and general inclusive and assimilative process all over the world as well as due to the impact of powerful multi-national mass media and TV , the Christmas is  becoming truly a cross-cultural, cross-religious and cross-national celebration and a family holiday time.

Any holiday which is festive and includes the family members and friends could only be for the good of the society !! The Christianity in the Christmas celebration is getting diminished and more of the worldly and materialistic gift giving has become norm for the celebration of the Christmas. The celebration with the indomitable Santa Clause distributing gifts ( in reality many kids all over the world go hungry everyday)  to the children world  over has become the central theme for the Christmas celebration. This theme is further deviated to include gifts for all members and friends of the family  (extended as much as possible). When it suits our business and commercial needs, the gift and card giving include others with whom we may have real or prospective business interest. Besides, gift exchange, the Christmas holidays are much known for partying, feasting and general care free appearance and gluttony.  Santa Clause ( also known as Father Christmas) is pushed as a real person ( yes, Victoria, there is Santa Clause!), who seems to have displaced the real Jesus Christ as the main focus in this celebration. 

 

This is also  the time most of us  are  bombarded with Christmas carols (of the Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer type) everywhere, with organizations seeking contributions for one cause or another and general spread of spiritual and non-spiritual guilt. Have we camouflaged the celebration so much that we really cannot see the forest from the trees? At one time there was Jesus Christ, way back in time and at a place called Jerusalem,  whose birth  the Christmas is supposed to be celebrating.  Jesus is described at once as the son of God and the God Himself.  Then there are Protestant and Roman Catholics. Both  believe to know the true Jesus Christ.  In Londonderry (or in Derry) in North Ireland , these two Christian groups do not even know each other. For centuries, the fight, maiming and killing  between these two Christian groups in Ireland have become a norm.  Both are supposed to be loved and saved by the Lord Jesus Christ! Where is Christianity! In the south United States, there are blacks and whites. The churches owned by the blacks in honouring the Jesus Christ are burnt regularly. Historically, imperialist conquering and enslaving of established cultures (“They brought Bible and took our land” uttered by, I think, Rev. Tutu of South Africa) is behind us but the effect of this is still everywhere. Poverty, ignorance, starvation and general malaise still remain very prevalent. 

Though I am not a Christian, I submit that it is time that the lie out of the Christmas celebration is taken out and bring the Christmas back to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Period.  This will lead to simplicity and understanding of the true meaning  of sacrifice offered by the Lord. 

The real teachings of Jesus Christ ( such as Love your neighbor like yourself) and  genuinely seeking forgiveness and making amends as well as forgiving those who may have offended you would be better pillars for the joyous celebration by one and all.  Remember  Jesus Christ on the cross praying to the Lord,  “ Forgive them , Lord for they do not know what they are doing”.

Alas, if  the churches can liberate themselves of all the edifices of accumulative instincts and comfortable surrounding, then the churches could regain their moral authority for instilling the simple teachings of the Jesus Christ and making this world a better and just world. We may even find that all other religious faiths more or less say the same thing. Once, again, I wish all a “Very fulfilling and enriching Christmas and a Happy New Year”.

I also would want to seek forgiveness for raising the above. 

 

Pravin Shah