Despite the heavy poundings unleashed worldwide upon the latter life of the Lord Jesus Christ by the fictional hawkish writer Dan Brown, in his outrageously controversial novel, 'Da Vinci Code', the ever growing Christian faith still remains unruffled.

Far from being discredited and 'soldout', the modern day Christian faith, principles and its Holy status arguably have gained momentum with more resolute understanding. The blasphamic Da Vinci Code's band wagon led imperiously by Dan Brown has compromised its earthly life for a few dollars more. To brazenly bring into disrepute any well-known religion or faith by twisting facts into near-real fictitious elements, with real intent and purpose, is a literaturistic crime and academically unethical.

However, to hide and cover-up or simply delete factual religious chronicles, called Apocryphal books/letters, in any religion or faith is also professionally unethical. All worldwide religions have their own 'black-chapters', which understandably provide window of opportunity to any learned researcher to make a very profitable case study.

Irresponsible Christian research scholars have been 'spared from untimely death', but not so in other non-Christian religions with ultra fundamentalistic teachings or beliefs.

You just take the contrasting 'fate' of Dan Brown and Salman Rushdie or Talisma Nasreen, only then could you understand the present day socio-religious world. Present day Christianity is very simple and very much forgiving, thanks to the divine teachings of the world's largest followed religion's founder one earth, the Lord Jesus Christ, the symbol of peace, harmony, love, charity and divine blessings.

Now, who really was Jesus Christ and his origin? And what really is Apocryphal?

First thing first, the original background of the Lord Jesus could be had from, of all mother of irony, the Apocryphal book/epistle (letter) written by none other than St. James. The term 'apocryphal' is derived from the Greek word 'Acrypha' which means 'hidden away'.

There are as many as 109 apocryphal epistles which had been left out of the present New Testament when the Holy Bible was fully translated in the 17th century AD. They were rejected because they did not conform with other sister espitles; however, the apocryphal books are not wrong, contradictory nor false teachings.

It was because of the lack of direct communication, scholarship, language barrier, verbal preaching and proper interpretations. This was one of main reasons why the original family background, the youthful life of Jesus Christ and the earlier principles of Christianity have still remained so obscure and, at time, susceptible to twisted presentation of early Christian faith and misinterpretation.

But, truth is the whole truth itself.

So was, is and shall be the biblical facts of the birth of Jesus Christ and His mother Mary and the personal identity of His earthly father, Joseph. According to a virtual apocryphal Protoevangelism of St. James, (c. 2nd century AD), the birth of Virgin Mary was similar to that of her son, Jesus, in his dissection of the 'Histories of the 12 Tribes of Israel'.

St. James wrote that a rich elderly couple, Jaochin (Pr Hwa-ki) and Anna, a descendant of the House of King David, were childless and were thus ridiculed by others. So, Jaochin went on a 40-day fasting and prayer for a child. His faithfulness and religious determination were answered and as such, his wife, Anna, was told by an angel that she would conceived a child through 'divine intervention', and that child would become very famous.

That child was the virgin Mary and her birth was celebrated with pomp and gaiety by her father, Jaochin, alongwith the blessings from high priests. Mary was then sent to religious covenant, the Jerusalem temple, at early age of three and she was respectfully treated because of her divine personality.

The protoevange-lism of James said that Mary was released from the temple when she reached the age of puberty (around 16 yrs) as was customary. It was at this time period the Archangel Gabriel appeared before her to give a divine message that she would conceived a child, a son of God, who would ruled the entire world, through divine conception.

The divine sign also appeared before one carpenter and a widower named Joseph, a descendant of the House of King David. At first Joseph naturally protested to being an elderly 'husband' of a teenage girl by saying: 'I have sons and am old, but she is (just) a girl. I fear lest I should become a laughing stock of the sons of Israel'.

However, Joseph consented as he fully realised the divine meaning and enormity of the message from Heaven. Thus, to fulfil the words Prophets and the will of God Joseph and Mary were wedded as husband and wife, a divine nuptial made in heaven. And, as it come to pass, the Holy Child called Jesus Christ was born.

Though the 25th December is observed worldwide as the birthday of Christ, the exact date of his birth cannot be ascertained chronologically. Going by the credible clues that could be gleaned out of the Bible, chronicles and records of contemporary history, Jesus Christ could or would have been born in either early spring or late autumn.

Nowhere could one find a written fact in the Holy Bible that Jesus was born in a 'cold winter night (of December)'. However, what is certain beyond any reasonable doubt was the fact that Jesus was born during a Roman Census counting period in Beit-li-heim or Bethlehem and that the bright 'guiding star' followed by the three Magi (pr Mei-jai) or wisemen was most probably the periodical Halley's Comet since it fits that time period.

Whatever the case might be, there's nothing wrong in observing 25th December as Christmas Day, a day of merry and joy. It was the Roman Christians who first observed Christmas Day in winter time to wipe out the ungodly pagan festivities prevalent during winter solstice by blending them into Christian festivities instead.

Sending of cards and the spirit of bonhomie and message of peace and harmony must have to be upheld by one and all; for Christmas comes just one in a year - so do miss it not for all wealth and power on earth. Make Christmas's and New Year's Day a solemn but joyous occasion to remember and cherish all through your life.

Fail not your bosom friends and near and dear ones on this most auspicious day and most importantly, fail not yourself, do the right things, people. Let, each and every person make this holiest of all Holy day count by being an integral part of this Christmas day. No religious event comes much better and open than the X-mas day. So, let's all go for it.

Lastly, I most sincerely want to wish each and every reader of the 'Here and There' column of The Sangai Express the merriest of all Merry Christmas in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(It is worth mentioning that the Israeli PM E Olmert has recently announced the official acceptance of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo as one of the 10 lost tribes of Israel, i.e the Manashes in the Knesset, the Israel Parliament.)