'Tis Christmas; Is it all about giving presents?

Andrew Heanngam Pamei *

Churachandpur (Lamka) town on eve of Christmas on 23 December 2017 :: Pix - Thangpu Samte

Jesus Christ was born two millennia syne. Thenceforth, Christians have been celebrating Christmas to commemorate Christ's birth thus far. As time ticks in for Christmas day, Christians in ardent spirit adorn their homes and streets with dazzling arrays of lights to spangle the silent night with stars of wonder and stars of light.

Christians in blithe spirit brace themselves up in sweltering dresses to tussle the bitter winter's icy flurry as they march on to radiate love and bliss of Christmas with resounding carol hymns. It is a time of ecstasy and exultation, a perfect time to celebrate God's love.

Christmas is also a time of giving. Since the three wise men (the magi) gave frankincense, gold and myrrh as a gift to infant Jesus in Bethlehem two millennia ago, thenceforth, giving gifts has been the very essence of Christmas celebration. Christmas in a nutshell, is all about giving without a thought of getting. It's about giving presents. But a question still remains; what kind of presents?

It's about a father who disciplined his three-year old daughter for wasting a roll of gold-coloured wrapping paper. Since there was financial constrain in the family, he became furious when he saw his little daughter decorate a box with an expensive gold-coloured wrapping paper and put it under a Christmas tree.

Yet, on Christmas day, the little girl brought the gift wrapped in gold paper to her father and said, “this is for you daddy.” When he saw the gift of his daughter, he was literally embarrassed by his prior reaction, but his anger flared up again when he unwrapped the gift, opened the box and found that it was empty.

So, out of anger he furiously shouted at his daughter, “Don't you know that when you give someone a present, there's suppose to be something inside of it?” Hearing these furious words of her father, the little girl looked up with tears in her eyes and replied, “Daddy, it isn't empty. I blew kisses of love into the box and put them in there for you.”

The little girl's reply made her father shed tears of regret for his furious reactions. Her father then, threw his arms around his little daughter and begged her forgiveness. He kept that gift of gold-coloured box by his bed for years so that, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out that box of kisses and remember the love of his little daughter who put it there-The gift of love.

It's about a contest held to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year old boy whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went up into the gentleman's yard, climbed into his lap and just sat there.

When his mother asked the little boy what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy replied, “Nothing… I just helped him cry.”-The gift of consolation

It's about a five-year old girl who went to a pediatrician for a check-up. As the doctor looked at her ears with an otoscope, he asked, “Do you think I'll find a big bird in here?” The little girl remained silent. Next the doctor took a tongue depressor and looked down her throat. He asked, “Do you think I'll find a puppy down there?”

Again the little girl was silent. Then the doctor put a stethoscope on her chest. As he listened to her heartbeat, he asked, “Do you think I'll find a santa claus in here?” The little girl replied, “Oh! No, Jesus is in my heart.”- The gift of faith

It's about God who loved each one of us so much that He gave His only begotten son Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life.-The ultimate gift

Indeed Christmas is about giving gifts. Like a little girl in the first story; giving gifts of love, telling our dear ones and family how special they are to us. It's about giving gifts of love by reaching out to the unloved.

It's about giving gifts of consolation like a four-year-old boy in the second story by visiting those who have no one else to visit them, by remembering those who have no one else to remember them.

Christmas is about gift of bringing laughter and smiles to those who are in sorrow. Like a five-year-old girl in the third story, Christmas is about giving gifts of faith to the faithless by keeping Jesus Christ as focus.

Christmas truly, is all about giving presents, presents not in material form, but those gifted in the form of love, consolation and faith.

Wishing you all an ecstatic and grace-filled Christmas. God Bless.