In Greater Noida, in a multi-storied apartment lived the family of Satyendra. They wanted to celebrate their baby Riwan’s first birthday. They had invited friends and prepared a great banquet too. Parents were busy decorating the hall, arranging furniture and fixing balloons…etc. The main door was kept open as people started walking in. The boy slipped out of the main door and was holding the iron grills in the stairways. He put his head between two iron rods, looked down and wanting to explore slipped and fell to death from the twelfth floor. (NDTV 24 August 2021)
Birthday was for that baby boy Riwan. However, the focus shifted to the celebration event. Parents and others were busy organizing the celebration, neglecting the baby for whom it was the birthday. Sad, that birthday became his death day.
Around the world, Christmas has become a cultural celebration or a traditional ritual or a yearly event of the church. The reason for the season, Lord Jesus Christ is ignored, neglected, or forgotten.
Adam and Eve sinned and brought sin, death and curse upon humanity. God promised that a seed of woman would be born to redeem the fallen humanity. Lord Jesus Christ was born as Promised by God as saviour of the world. He was sent by Father God to die for our sins and grant us forgiveness. Thus, we could have access to Holy God’s presence and live with him forever.
Sadly, people forget Lord Jesus Christ but hold a celebration: individuals, families, communities, institutions, cities, nations…etc. Forgetting Lord Jesus Christ, the reason for the celebration is missing God’s purpose as well as our purpose in life.
Advent season as Church calendar calls it is a time of quiet contemplation of God’s love for humanity, Lord Jesus Christ suffering, death and resurrection. Christmas season is to welcome our Lord to be born in our hearts and minds of people for a glorious transformation.
Do I celebrate Christ’s birth knowing the reason?