A Reason To Rejoice

It’s Christmas, a commemoration of the nativity of Jesus Christ, Christians’ acclaimed Messiah, Saviour and Redeemer. On the third Sunday of advent, when Christians waited patiently and expectantly for this day, Prophet Isaiah told the people of God to rejoice because of the coming of the servant of God, who will bring glad tidings to the poor, heal the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners and ultimately announce a year of favour from the Lord and a day of vindication by God (Is 61:1-11).
For many people, that was a major take-home, going by all the challenges facing people in different parts of the world and particularly, our nation this period of the Covid-19 pandemic and its attendant financial problem, kidnappings, killings, increased poverty, loss of jobs and many others. People of God were asked not to lose hope in the midst of all these problems but rather, they should wait and prepare themselves for the coming of the son of God, Emmanuel, whose coming will bring joy, hope and a whole lot of good things.
Today’s celebration of Christmas should therefore rekindle our hope and trust in the Lord for a better tomorrow. We are also expected to be like Christ. 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 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 season 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 various parts of the country now find it difficult to travel to their villages for Christmas for fear of being kidnapped.
Amid vices and fears, we miss the essence of Christmas and lose the blessings therein. 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 imbibe 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. Camillus 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 practice 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 the celebration worthwhile.
It is our prayer that as God made it possible for a virgin, Mary, to conceive and bear a son, Jesus, He will better our disturbing situations both as individuals and as a nation; for with God, all things are possible.

By: Calista Ezeaku