Tomorrow is Christmas, the day set aside by Christians all over the world to commemorate and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Since Pope Julius I, in A.D. 320, declared December 25th as the day to mark the birthday anniversary of Jesus Christ, the date has become sacrosanct.
Indeed, Christmas has become the dominant of the two Christian holidays that are universally celebrated, the other being Easter, which is for Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.
The celebration is so broad-based that whether you are a Christian or not, even with the security and economic challenges Nigeria is facing, it is impossible to turn on the television or enter a major shopping area or mall or even drive down any major street without being reminded it is Christmas season.
It is such that many decide to join in the fun, some without sharing in the reverence of the day. For many, this celebration of everything joyous and lively, peace and friendliness is also a time of reunion. It’s a time to forge new relationships and deepen existing ones, a time for marriages and weddings, a time for funerals and remembrances, a time for key family, kindred, village and town gatherings and a time for programmes and projects to develop both the church and society.
In this season, some families have plenty and could afford colourfully wrapped packages. Others have less to survive with, but look up to the benevolence and generosity of neighbours and strangers. Or they just are in sorrow, with no money to buy presents for their children, family, and friends. Many are also sad, remembering their loved ones who will not be home, for various reasons.
Yet, what is celebrated is that God gave the greatest gift to man through Jesus as He became man to redeem the world out of His love. And because of this, Christmas is also a time to heal wounds with neighbours and those we have wronged. It is a time to rekindle a new life.
But this year is no ordinary Christmas. Nigeria is facing unprecedented insecurity with killings, kidnapping and destruction going on across the nation’s six geopolitical zones.
There is also the economic crunch that gets harder by the day. And this year’s Christmas is made gloomier with the fourth wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) raving the nation, with record numbers of new infections.
And this calls for Nigerians to avoid large gatherings. And if they must, it must be in strict adherence to social distancing rules and other protocols by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Towards this, wearing face masks correctly, washing hands regularly, applying hand sanitisers frequently, covering their mouths with their elbows or disposable serviette when they cough must be respected.
There are concerns that love, the solemn meaning of Christmas, is getting lost in the consumerism and greed that has come to define the season. So, Nigerians should imbibe the spirit of love anew. This should be a time for charitable work, for the pursuit of the common good; time to pursue peace among one another – between colleagues, neighbours and fellow citizens, of eschewing evil thoughts and deeds.
This should be a season of reflections by Nigerians on the essence of our wellbeing, both as individuals and the nation, of living according to the exemplary life of Jesus and eschewing inordinate greed. Let this season remind Nigerians to share, to sacrifice, not just a season for revelling and display of wealth in the midst of poverty.
More importantly, Christmas must never be lost in the hearts of believers that this is a celebration of joy and eternal hope for a better tomorrow. This is another opportunity for Nigerians to again find meaning in the Christmas’ biblical story of angels and their message of “peace and goodwill to all people” that accompanied the birth of Jesus over 2,000 years ago.
This is another season of eternal hope for a better Nigeria. Merry Christmas.
