Here is a good resolution
Although Christmas is a religious feast for Christians, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, people from different backgrounds and beliefs also celebrate the day. Christmas trees being the focal point of this celebration, it decorates their houses, and their kids also wait for Santa Claus to climb down the chimney bringing along gifts.
Do they really mind that this is a full fledge religious celebration? I am not sure, but it seems that the festive mood that comes with it, urges some people to partake from the joy that the season brings along. Hence, I think Christmas is one of the most celebrated occasions around the world.
For some, who don’t have the means to celebrate, or are deprived from having a family, this time brings them lots of unhappiness and depression. It is said that the rate of suicide also increases during this time of the year. We can only imagine the number of poor and deprived children in our world today, ones who like their other age mates, expect to receive gifts and share a nice meal with their family.
Unfortunately, this festivity has become so commercialised that it has lost a lot of its spiritual concept and its purpose is diluted. It is often forgotten that Jesus Christ (and other prophets of God) have come to make this world a better place, a world where it’s not all about one’s family only, rather the global family.
Of course, some charity organisations become very active during this time of the year, trying to collect funds, clothes and food to share with the less privileged, but then, this once in a year exercise, is not a permanent solution to an aching humanity where poverty levels are rising and the gap between the poor and the rich is widening.
A few days ago, the daughter of the richest man in India got married. It was estimated that the cost of the wedding was millions of dollars. There was a lot of debate between some of my friends who thought that this amount could have been spent building hundreds of schools for children in India.
My contribution to this debate was by asking my friends if any one of them had decided to sponsor the education of even one child before expecting others to do the same. And that’s where it all starts, bring thyself to account, it sounds like a good New Year resolution!
*Tête-à-tête by Flora Aduk will be back next week.
