On Christmas Celebration

It is a few days to Christmas. Many roads, streets, offices, homes are wearing beautiful looks, courtesy of flowers, lights, Christmas trees,  candles and other things used as decorating items.  Business activities are at their peak as people engage in last minute shopping for all the things that will 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 the yuletide to a time to do all sorts of unspeakable things to make money. Traders, transporters, hair dressers, tailors in Nigeria, 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 the southern 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,  remold  our leaders to become selfless servant/leaders and, above all, rebrand a greedy and insensitive political class and the governed?
In a recent sermon, the Catholic Bishop of Port Harcourt Diocese, Most Rev. Camilius Etukudoh advised that for 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