The Best Christmas Ever

It’s a few days to Christmas. Many roads, streets, offices, homes in the city are wearing beautiful looks, courtesy of flowers, lights, Christmas trees,  candles and other things used as decorating items as business  activities are their peak and people engaged in last minute shopping for all the things that would make this year’s commemoration  of the nativity  of Jesus Christ, Christians’  acclaimed messiah, saviour, redeemer a memorable one.

Christmas is a celebration many people look forward to with nostalgia as it brings the memories of  happiness, love shared among families and friends, during the festive period.

Christmas season is supposed to be a period of peace for Jesus Christ, according to the Bible  was sent into the world by God his father, to die for the sins of mankind and bring  everlasting peace to the world. It is therefore  expected that the commemoration of his birth should be a time for nations, families and individuals to make peace and live in harmony.

Ironically, the reverse seems to be the case now as people have turned   yuletide to a time to do all sorts of unspeakable things to make money. Traders, transporters,  the hair dressers, tailors, all see the season as an opportunity to make quick money, hiking the prices of their goods and services. Family ties, relationships, are broken over material needs for Christmas.

Perhaps, the most worrisome is increased crime rate across the country during the festive period. Armed robbers, kidnappers increase their operation during the holy season. As a matter of fact, many people from South East and South South parts of the country now find  it difficult to travel  to their  villages for Christmas  for fear of being kidnapped.

In doing this, we miss the essence of Christmas and lose the blessings there in. Christmas  will be without  meaning unless  we all imbibe the basic lessons drawn  from Jesus’ lowly birth, in a manger, his pious life, long suffering, love for others and empathy  with the weak and hopeless, all of  which climaxed with a supreme sacrifice  on the cross of Calvary.

No doubt, these are the virtues that truly make Christmas a Christian epoch worthy of annual commemoration.

Sometimes one wonders, what a peaceful world we’ll have if mankind imbibes the attributes of the exemplary life  Jesus  Christ lived, of being a master servant, lover of children, friend of the forsaken and dependable teacher.

Could we all see this  year’s  Christmas as an opportunity to reflect on the virtues Christ preached and see how adherence  to them could  save the fast dwindling  family structure, redirect a depraved society,  remould  our leaders to become selfless servant/leaders and above all rebrand a greedy and insensitive political class and the governed?

In a sermon last Sunday, the Catholic Bishop of Port Harcourt Diocese, Most Rev. Camilius Etukudoh advised that for this year’s Christmas celebration to impact positively on our lives, we should go beyond  materials, physical preparations but rather concentrate more on preparing our souls to welcome the Lord on the great  sacred day.

Surely, the celebration will have more impact on us as individuals and a nation if we do away with greed, materialism, corruption, ethnicity, and all those vices that divide us as a nation but practise contentment, love, sacrifice, justice which Jesus  Christ lived and died for.

Exchange of gifts is a major aspect of  Christmas celebration. Let us therefore reach out to the less privileged members of our communities, and put  smiles on their faces through our gifts of love and other material things.

Instead of doubling the prices of our goods and services, we should emulate people of other countries who slash the prices of their commodities during  Christmas to make it affordable for everyone. Only through such genuine acts of love and charity can we make this year’s Christmas  the best ever.

Calista Ezeaku