CHRISTMAS IS HERE AGAIN

There is hope in the season of love, writes Sonnie Ekwowusi

Two days ago I went to the dry cleaner’s shop to submit some clothes for dry-cleaning. No sooner I was attended than a teenage girl sauntered into the shop. She was carrying on her head a load of carefully-wrapped assorted lady’s clothes which obviously she brought for dry cleaning too. “Good morning aunty, my Mum sent me to bring these clothes to you for dry cleaning. She said that she wants to collect the clothes before Christmas because she wants to use them for Christmas”, said the innocent-looking girl. “Okay from your Mum? Wait o, but I thought you people are not Christians? Do you celebrate Christmas?” queried the attendant. “Don’t mind them, they do. They all celebrate Christmas. They pretend as if they don’t. But they do. Everybody celebrates Christmas”, retorted another lady attendant who was in the inner room sorting out some customers’ clothes.

I left the dry cleaner’s shop pondering the words of the second attendant, “Everybody celebrates Christmas”. She was right. Christmas is the most celebrated religious feast in the world. The popularity of Christmas grows day by day. Whether or not they accept the Christian theological beliefs which underpin the celebration of Christmas, most people across the world are enraptured by the magnificent allure of Christmas even though externally they may not show it or are forbidden by the State not to show it. For example, in the past, public celebration of Christmas was forbidden in Saudi Arabia. But the celebration of Christmas in Riyadh at the moment, much to the delight of expats and Saudi citizens, is simply phenomenal. First, unlike in the past, most shops in Riyadh at the moment are fully stocked with the traditional Christmas trees, Christmas ornaments, Christmas cribs, special festoons, rosettes and so forth. Christmas buyers could be seen pouring in and out of the shops purchasing all sorts of goodies to their heart content. The questions being asked today are: What’s driving this change in Saudi Arabia? Is this a sign of changing times? Well, time will tell. Remember that women are now allowed to drive cars in Saudi Arabia, something that was unthinkable in the past.

Unfortunately the essence of Christmas is continuously being whittled down or deconstructed. While some perceive Christmas as a kind of religious interlude for family gatherings; decorations of houses; exchange of gifts; singing of Christmas carols, others see Christmastime as a time to revel in the orgy of self-deification, capricious expenditure and militant consumerism. Instead of seeking joy in the true meaning of Christmas, these people seek joy in drunken orgy and pleasure unmindful of those famous words of St. Augustine: “Lord, you stir man to take pleasure in praising you, because you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you”. In many parts of the West, Christmas now bears the colouration of a new paganism, new secularism and post-Christen culture: Christmas is understood as a mere holiday. Three weeks ago, an internal communication document of the European Union (EU) was leaked to the public. In the document, the EU had proposed to abolish Christmas by substituting the word Christmas with the so-called inclusive language “holiday season”. The document also proposed that religious names such as “Mary” and “John” and other such names should no longer be used.

This is not surprising. The EU is anti-God and anti-religion. There are some who live and behave as if God were not going to ask them to render an account someday. Anyway, in response to EU’s attempts at paganization, secularization and satanization of Christmas, Pope Francis has said that the efforts of the EU to abolish God and to abolish Christmas result from a “watered-down” approach to Christianity that has failed throughout history. “The European Union must take on the ideals of the founding fathers, which were ideals of unity, greatness, and be careful of not paving the road for ideological colonization,” Pope Francis said. Faced with a public outcry against its satanic agenda, especially Pope Francis’ backlash against it, the EU has been forced to withdraw the aforesaid document calling it “a work in progress” and promising in a tweet to publish an “updated version” of the document.

Anyway, EU or no EU, the essence of Christmas is Jesus Christ, the redeemer of mankind. At Christmas, we are invited to relive that deepest mystery which took place more than 2000 years ago when God took flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary and was born in a relatively humble city of David called Bethlehem. At Christmas we are invited to reproduce Christ’s life in our individual lives. Pope Francis urges everyone to make a concrete commitment during this Christmas, no matter how small, to visit the sick, lonely, needy, elderly persons and hearken to the assistance of the poor. He also advised that the spirit of Christmas is best lived in asking others for forgiveness, granting forgiveness, asking for clarifications and paying a debt.

Considering that Nigeria now is facing the most dangerous existential threat since her independence, President Buhari should be alive to his constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property. At the moment life has lost its meaning in Nigeria. The North continues to totter on the brink of her final collapse. Seethed with anger over the unprecedented slaughtering of human beings in the North, some northern youths last week staged a peaceful protest urging President Buhari perhaps for the umpteenth time that his primary constitutional responsibility is to protect lives and property of the citizenry. When a government has failed to protect lives and property of the citizenry it is an indication that that government has woefully failed.

All said, no matter what happens under the sun you must not be weary. You must not give in to despair. Everything may seem to be collapsing. Omicron may seem to be taking its highest human toll. Government may be irresponsible. Poverty may be grinding Nigeria to a complete halt. Your means of livelihood may be destroyed. Your bank account may be emptied of money. Your health may be failing you. Your loved one or your sweet heart might have died. But nothing is gained by succumbing to melancholy. It is true that we live in a sad world, and that many men and women of our times have stopped smiling. Take consolation in the good tiding that has been brought to us. Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, is born among us. So be hopeful. Hope is our greatest asset. We cease to live when we cease to hope. We cease to hope when we give in to despair. We give in to despair when we cease to smile. So wipe away the tears from your eyes. Weep no more. Although we live in a sad world, you must regain our laughter and sense of humour. With our laughter we can challenge the sad world to look at us and be hopeful

This column intones the Nunc Dimittis today as it proceeds on Christmas vacation to return, God willing, in January 2022. Thanks for your company in this tireless job of clothing the naked public square. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in advance.