CHRISTMAS NOT CLAUSMAS

My View On Christmas


Talking to my brother, Hock was quite amusing and interesting when I was home in Penang a few weeks ago. Although we share the same belief in Christianity, I was very interested about how he found my special friend and hero (Jesus). He told me that they refer him as “Ya-shu”. I had to laugh because to me, after living overseas for so long, my hokkien has already gone rusty and sounded like “Ju-who” (meaning cuttlefish). No matter how they refer him, I am so happy to see the joy on my brother’s face.

It is not long now till Christmas. Everyone is just so busy doing their last minute Christmas shopping. Even the shops are decorated beautifully with lots of tinsels, lights and toys. Browsing through shop windows, I noticed lots of well decorated Christmas tree but found neither nativity scene nor even an angel on the tree. Children are even encouraged by parents to believe in Santa Claus, taking photos with him and accepting sweets as well. Can’t help but wondered has everything now become so commercialised. Christmas time can be a joyous event to some but also a very lonely time for the lost, the unloved and the destitute people whose families have forgotten about them. It is a time for cheering and wishing and also a time for crying and feeling incomplete and suicidal. So, my friend, how do you view your Christmas this year? If you ask people in the street today, how they described Christmas, they would say in one sentence, “Santa Claus, presents, food, drink with families and friends.” Anything, except the birth of a little boy called “Jesus”. So, what so important about this, may I ask? Let me tell you the real story of Christmas.

You see, many, many years ago, A loving father in heaven gave his little boy to be born in a dirty manger for you and me. His father knew we needed his help to connect with him, so he sends his son to prepare a plan for us. His son’s plan was to teach us wisdom, retained hope, peace and joy in the time of turbulences in our lives and also to redeem us from our sins so that we will not perish but have eternal lives with him. This loving father really wants us to belong to him and his family. Very comforting news to all who thinks no one understands or cares in this world! As Jesus, grew up, he experienced many life conflicts just like us such as rejection, abuses, mockery, insults, persecution, grief and so on. So that whenever, we pray today of our hurt and pain, he does understand our feelings. His ultimate selfless act of love, was to go to the cross and to complete his purpose for us. He had to do it because without his sinless blood, we cannot come close to his loving father as we are all full of sins. So you see, this boy cares so much for you and me that he is willing to lay down his life for us. Which God in this world ever display this kind of love for you and me, my friend?

Now that we understand the real meaning of Christmas, let us move our thoughts away from Santa Claus and believing that JESUS the reason of the season and it is CHRISTmas and not Clausmas !!!