Making a real Christmas

Andrew Heanngam Pamei *

A Star symbolizing the coming of Christmas at Noney, Tamenglong in December 2013 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

Christmas is celebrated as the day of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas time is the time when the crystal notes of the midnight mass rise into the sky to spangle the silent night with stars of wonders and stars of light. And this day brings me an immense joy and happiness and reminds me of God's wondrous love for mankind.

God is love.

And so, when the son of God Jesus Christ was born, Love entered into human history in a new and in a very unique way. Love is birthed in every believer of Christ by God the spirit as by-product of the eternal life of Christ.

Love was born for every one of us. He was born at a time when ignorance, superstition, greed, hatred and hypocrisy prevailed. For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son to save the world. His love is greater far, than pen or human tongue can express.

And here a story is told of a boy with his toy boat. A Boy once made a toy boat. He was very proud of his boat because he hadn't bought, he made it himself. One day while sailing his toy boat on the lake, the wind suddenly strengthened and blew the toy boat out of sight towards the other side of the lake.

Then, the boy immediately ran around to the far side of the lake to look for his boat. He searched and searched, but couldn't find it anywhere, the boat was lost. The boy was bitterly disappointed because this wasn't any ordinary boat. This was his special boat that he had made with his own hands.

Sometime later the boy was walking past a shop. He happened to look in the window, and there up for sale was his boat. He knew it was his because he had made it himself and knew exactly what it looked like. Immediately the boy rushed into the shop and paid the asking price for his boat. On leaving the shop, the boy looked admiringly at his boat and said, "Now you are mine twice over". I made you, and now I have bought you back again. I have redeemed you.

And this story shows us the picture of what God has done for us. He made us and therefore owns us, but because of our sins we got lost and separated from him. But in his boundless love, He sent his only beloved son Jesus to buy us back, in fact, to redeem us. And the price Jesus paid? - His own blood that he shed on the cross. And on this great day, we remember the purpose of the coming of Jesus, to redeem us to God the father in heaven, the king of all kings and the God of all Gods.

Jesus does not come just to answer the questions we think important. He does not come to give us a set of techniques for keeping God happy; and he certainly doesn't come to create a harmlessly eccentric hobby for speculative minds. He comes to make humanity itself new, to create fresh possibilities for being at peace with God and with men of all good will.

And above all the merry makings and celebrations, through this Christmas let us make Christ's spirit its birth within our heart so that we can make this Christmas a real Christmas where a divine element express itself in our heart. And this is a challenge for everyone, to go and join the rest of human race and bring peace- the product of love to the world.

Perhaps, that's the truest heroism and the hardest. To turn around and look where we've never looked before, to trust the one who is calling us and drop under the mercy of his overflowing compassion and to be with him and join the human race, re-created in the spirit of mutual love, delight and service.

We all know, that the Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has never overcome it, and so through the joy of this Christmas let us shine where there was darkness before, and dispel that darkness through Christ who is the light of the world.

No matter how small you feel your light may be, remember that all the darkness in the world cannot put out the light of even one small candle. It is this little light that counts.

Wish you all a very happy and a grace filled Christmas. God bless you all.