Whenever the word Christmas appears, the images of colourful Christmas trees, jingle bells, twinkling stars and boisterous Santa Clauses come to mind.
Christmas signifies the season of merrymaking and partying. Of gifting your loved ones and receiving gifts in return. It symbolises family reunions and delicious cakes. But is that the true purpose of Christmas or has Christmas fallen prey to the present-day consumerism and mindless commercialisation which have come to epitomise our timesIJ
It’s interesting that Christmas is also referred to as Xmas. It’s akin to calling somebody Mr X instead by his name as Mr Sasmit. Christmas originates from being the birthday of lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. December 25 is the day which is annually celebrated as the birthday of lord Jesus Christ. According to the Holy Bible, the lord was born in a manger inside a shed where household livestock are tied. It was not possible for his parents Joseph and Mary to find an appropriate place and, therefore, lord Jesus Christ who is the son of God was born in the lowly manger signifying to the world that it is not riches and glory but humility which is essential and should be in the heart of each human being if they would like the lord to be born in their lives as their personal saviour.
As the Holy Bible further states that three wise men from the East reached the place where lord Jesus Christ was born by watching a bright star which was positioned right above the manger. The wise men brought rich gifts which were befitting a king but were surprised to find the lord born in a manger. This signifies that though the lord was a king being the son of God and born in the family line of King David, his birth in humble surroundings states emphatically that rich gifts are not what the lord cherishes. Rather, he enjoys the company of humility, love and affection.
Unfortunately, the essence of Christmas is also seen in India through the prism of Western culture. lord Jesus was never born in a king’s castle but in a humble abode. He never rode horses and chariots. He rather rode a humble donkey signifying that humility and obedience is more important in life than power and glory.
In India today, Christmas signifies everything Western. The trees which are epitomised as Christmas trees have no Biblical basis. There were no Christmas trees around lord Jesus. There was no singing Santa Clauses with free gifts. There were no paper stars and mindless merrymaking. Rather, it was silent night, holy night, a night which was calm and bright. It was a night which gave a new meaning to the mankind and a reality which tore the timeline of humanity between Before Christ (BC) and Anno Domini (After Death of Christ). The fact that the dates came about in the scientific order over two thousand years back clearly states that it’s fact and not fiction that illustrates the birth of Christ.
It is disappointing that clinking of glasses and parties have come to rule the roost of Christmas. lord Jesus was against any revelry and commercialisation. He believed in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control which are the fruits of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of the lord. For him, the true worship and true service for his birth would be to offer ourselves to him by rededicating our lives for the service of humanity and espouse through our words and deeds those nine fruits of the Holy Spirit so that the world experiences all the aspects of love, joy, peace and all the wonderful traits of human life.
lord Jesus came to save the world from its sins. His birth signifying Christmas should not be confused with the coming of a religious leader who founded Christianity and Christians. In fact, nowhere in the Holy Bible has the lord ever mentioned the word Christian or Christianity. He came to rebuild faith in the hearts and minds of people who were sinning and lost in this materialistic world. He was the son of God who came to this world so that he could reoffer himself as a sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary through crucifixion for taking the sins of the world on himself so that the people would not perish but be saved through eternal salvation through his blood which was shed on the Cross before the whole mankind.
Christmas is not about all that is glittering rather it is quite the opposite. The true essence of Christmas would be seen if those who spend lavishly on celebrations would rather feed a homeless, take care of an orphan, stand up for the weak and rededicate themselves to the greater cause of humanity.
The true tribute and love for lord Jesus would be seen not in the number of gifts or Christmas stars but in spreading his message of forgiveness and love for which he sacrificed himself. Some people conspired and got lord Jesus crucified. When he was crucified, he simply said, “Father (calling out to God), forgive them for they do not know what they do.” What a powerful statement! There are many who would say it is right to have a policy of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. But here was lord Jesus Christ asking for forgiveness for his killers. If someone has to see the true essence of Christmas, it is forgiveness.
This Christmas season as the world becomes more intolerant and unforgiving, let the spirit of tolerance and forgiveness be the hallmark of Christ-like spirit instead of the razzmatazz of Christmas. As Gladys Staines, the wife of late Graham Staines and mother to the two little children who were burnt alive in Odisha about fifteen years back said about those who had killed her husband and little children alive, “ I have forgiven them. I hold no bitterness towards the killers.” That’s the true essence of Christianity.
To show the other cheek when one is hit on one. This message of lord Jesus was so powerful that it inspired Mahatma Gandhi. let’s hope the message of Christmas this year helps soothe the frayed nerves of India and the people within as debates of conversion and reconversion seek to rake the buried ashes of a disturbed past. The true essence of Christmas is love, peace and forgiveness, and if we can truly live up to it, we would have truly lived up to the expectations of Christmas; not with our materialistic pleasures but with the divine fellowship of lord Jesus, who epitomised humility in his life to exhibit the greatest love for all mankind by giving his life ultimately as a cost for wiping the sins of the mankind. let’s rediscover the true essence of Christmas this season! God bless you and Merry Christmas!
(Dr Sasmit Patra is a Christian for Census sake, but a faithful follower of lord Jesus Christ in his heart. He believes that lord Jesus Christ did not come to the world for founding Christianity, rather for bringing the sinners closer to God by paying the ultimate sacrifice with his indomitable love, peace and forgiveness which changed the complexion of mankind and its history forever and inspired many greats to rise to greatness with his message of divine peace and worldwide brotherhood).