Celebrating Christmas
Published: December 24, 2006 by The Bohol Standard
It will be Christmas day tomorrow, the day when the world celebrates the birthday of Jesus Christ. To some, the celebration is real, to others it is not.
Those who do not feel the Christmas spirit give many reasons for it. They say it is because the economy is bad and people don’t have money to buy presents. They say nature has brought so much destruction and suffering so people are unhappy.
There are those who blame the national leadership for the many excesses and abuses that it has committed. There are many families who cannot be together during the holidays because of work restrictions.
If we look at it however, people have always been divided at Christmas between those who feel the Christmas spirit and those who don’t. There is no distinction between the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless, the healthy and the sick.
Jesus was born into a world that had its share of problems, sufferings and troubles. Israel was under Roman rule and there was little regard for Jewish feelings. This was the reason why Mary had to travel to Bethlehem with Joseph even though she was pregnant because the Roman rulers won’t accept excuses when they called for the census.
Conditions then were harsh as it is now. The shepherds out in the field were exposed to the cold Israeli winter with no shelter and only the sheep to keep them company. They had few rights to protect and no benefits to enjoy.
Mary and Joseph did not complain about their fate. The shepherds did the same. They were more concerned about the birth of the Holy Child and the hope that He brings into the world.
Today, many people complain about so many things that they do not have and neglect to be grateful for enjoying a lot that would be considered a luxury in the standards of that time.
It is not for people to decide that this Christmas is gloomy or not. Christmas is an individual experience and those who do not feel like celebrating have no reason to speak for the many who do.
Every Christmas celebration is unique. It has its own purpose and timing in the lives of people. It would not be right to compare one with the other because the basis for comparison would not do justice to the event.
The bottom line is that it is up to each one of us to decide whether we want to celebrate Christmas or not. God sees every heart and blesses those who sincerely desire to celebrate Christmas no matter what.
Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=85168.0