Opinion
Making The Best Of Christmas
Christmas is no doubt one of the most wonderful times of the year. It 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, love, forgiveness, reconciliation, thanksgiving for Jesus Christ, according to the Bible who 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, particularly in Nigeria, have turned the yuletide to a time to do all sorts of unspeakable things to make money. In many other countries, prices of commodities are slashed during Christmas to make them affordable for everyone. But here in Nigeria, businessmen, traders, transporters, hair dressers, tailors, all see the season as an opportunity to make quick money by hiking the prices of their goods and services. Family ties, relationships are broken over material needs for Christmas.
Perhaps, the most worrisome is the increased crime rate across the country during the xmas. Armed robbers, kidnappers increase their operations during the holy season. As a matter of fact, many people from the southern part of the country now find it difficult to travel to their villages for Christmas for fear of being kidnapped.
In doing these, we miss the essence of Christmas and lose the blessings there in. Christmas will be without meaning unless we imbibe the basic lessons drawn from Jesus’s 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. Undoubtedly 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 imbibed 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, remodeled our leaders to become selfless servants leaders and above all rebrand a greedy and insensitive political class and the governed?
Speaking on the essence of Christmas a few days ago, the prelate Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence (Dr) Samuel Chukwuemeka Kanu Uche said,. “The modest and reticent manner of his birth despite His royal connections and divinity, which lays a social foundation for the concept of a servant leader, should serve as a big lesson to all of us especially those in leadership positions and places of authority. The fact that we are leaders in whatever sphere of human existence does not confer on us the power to oppress others, rather it is a responsibility committed to us that should not be abused and misused”.
“Jesus came to the world to make God even more accessible to man by means of being a mediator, an advocate and a divine communications channel. Such is the role of leaders, who truly think of the people they rule or seek to govern because they are meant to provide good roads, quality education, constant power supply, equity and justice, joy, prosperity, good and quality living, responsible and responsive governance accessible to the people. Leaders are to put the people they serve before themselves and not the other way round”, he continued.
To me, giving and receiving gifts, partying, organizing state Christmas carol, carnivals are wonderful but shouldn’t be the main focus of December 25th. I think that for Christmas celebration to impact positively on our lives, we should go beyond material, physical preparations but rather concentrate more on preparing our souls to welcome the Lord and be ready to live exemplary Christian lives even after Christmas.
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 justice which Jesus Christ loved and died for.
Christmas will make more meaning if our lives become that of loving kindness and service to other fellows. A writer once wrote, “Every time someone reaches out to help another, That is Christmas, every time someone puts anger aside and strives for understanding, That is Christmas; every time people forget their differences and realise their love for each other, That is Christmas”.
Calista Ezeaku
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