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There is no denying the fact that the celebration of 2022 Christmas is already waiting at everyone’s doorstep as Sunday marks the birth of our savior, Lord Jesus Christ. Christmas, which is invariably the worldwide religious holiday that is acceptably celebrated by both Christians and non-Christians is around the corner and the mood in the country cannot be flawed. There is a lot of hysteria in the air but in some instances, for the wrong reasons altogether.
Were it to be in the era when Nigeria’s economy was by all indications buoyant, and characterized by a lot of trade and economic activity, most supermarkets would have by now been packed with shoppers who will be buying presents for their family members, friends, and relatives. Some Restaurants would have by now been teeming with hungry guests looking for the best cuisines. Everywhere you go, people would be seen buying and stocking their stores for the special occasion.
Most cities and towns would have literarily turned into ghost places by now as usually congested streets would be seen to be almost empty and traffic seen to be moving at a reasonable pace and with much ease. Along the highways, lines of vehicles moving to far-flung towns and villages would be a common sight. They include buses and mini-busses that are laden with human cargo and goods. For bus owners, business by now would have been brisk, and that would have been what they usually waited for.
For the sake of clarity, even if not a few people know the essence of Christmas; that is, the reason why it is every year celebrated across the world, it is the time of the year when Christians from all denominations celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Despite the fact that Christmas is religious many fun-seekers have turned it into a time for partying and making merry while not a few unscrupulous people have turned the special season into times of horror through sheer mischief. They go out to commit the most serious crimes against fellow citizens. They rape, kill and maim. Others loot property and take that which does not belong to them. These acts are likely to spoil what was otherwise a good year this time around.
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In a similar vein, the season usually ushers the New Year into being and is naturally a special season for joy and celebration for both believers and non-believers. Yet, instead of Christmas and New Year celebrations becoming times for peace, love, compassion, and family occasions, they are usually marred by gruesome road accidents and heinous acts of crime.
At this juncture, it is expedient to advise everyone in the Christendom, and non-adherents to the Christian faith who always join us by each passing year to celebrate the Christmas season, that they should not despair despite the ominous bleakness that will characterize the festive season due to the current economic woes.
Given the deepening economic hardship which not a few people are already facing due to the wobbling state of the economy, it is not an exaggeration to say that not a few of them have become confused about how they can wind down. To my view, the Christmas period is beyond the razzmatazz and Joie de Vivre people erroneously associate with it. Without sounding sanctimonious in this context, it is expedient to say that it is a season that provides the ambience for people to reflect on God, and His only begotten, Jesus Christ.
The reason for the foregoing cannot be farfetched. After all, when we have a birthday in our own family, what do we do? We gather around the person whose birthday it is and as a family, then we do one or two things. We remember and we celebrate. We remember the time and date the person was born. We look back and remember the day he or she came into our family. We might look at his or her photographs and recall how such a person looked when he or she was young. As can be recalled in this context, most birthdays are highlighted with stories about when the celebrants were young and even afford parents the opportunity to remember the celebrant’s first words, the first days at a school, and other significant events in a celebrant’s early life. Then we celebrate with them. We give thanks and celebrate the difference they have made and continue to make to our family. Given the foregoing graphical picture painted of a birthday celebrant, it is not a misnomer to say we don’t resort to stealing, cheating, becoming drunk and sexual perverts because any of our relatives’ birthday beckons. If that is not the case, then why do we love to be celebrating our Lord Jesus Christ’s birthday this way?
Against the foregoing backdrop, not a few readers of this piece would be pondering over what people should reflect on during the Christmas season. However, unknown to this category of people, there are so many things to reflect on at Christmas. In fact, as the Christmas season is about to begin in the next few days, it will not be ill-advised to urge people to begin to remember and celebrate things that pertain to the birth of Jesus. Against the foregoing backdrop, it would be expedient to begin to remember the story of how and when Jesus was born. It will also be edifying to be remembering the story of Mary and Joseph being turned away from the inn, even as we can remember that the angels appeared with good news and we remember how shepherds and the kings visited the stable. Then we celebrate the difference Jesus has made not only to the world but to our personal lives.
In fact, we have to be careful that we don’t look at Christmas as if it were just a historical event that happened in the past. The birth of Jesus is an event that echoes and ripples through the centuries right down to us today. It is wise for most of us to eschew experiencing Christmas and the birthday of Christ as a nice romantic thing as is often depicted on Christmas cards.
We should not forget that through the birth of Christ, God enters our time and history, and more importantly each of our own personal lives. Christ is Emmanuel, God is with us, and God is with each of us today in a very personal and intimate way.
As pope, John Paul II, wrote, ‘The mystery of the birth of Jesus that took place over 2000 years ago must be lived today and every day. The Word that found a dwelling place in and through Mary comes to knock on our hearts this Christmas and every Christmas, today and every day.
This Christmas, while all the celebrations and festivities are taking place, let’s stop, take some time and ask ourselves, what am I remembering? What am I celebrating?
While saying in this context that beyond the razzmatazz that usually characterize Christmas that there is a purpose for it, it is germane to pray that may the Light of Christ and Christ the Light bless our world and fill all our homes and families as 2022 Christmas is a few days away. Amen.
Isaac Asabor
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