It’s Christmas time! Have you noticed? There are Christmas lights in house windows, in shops, multicoloured fairy lights on the big trees, decorative bulbs chasing each other on the streets... they’re everywhere! Christmas is synonymous with big bright lights, yet I ask: How come there is plenty of darkness in the world we live in today?
It comes as no surprise that the United States has last month reached a record of retail sales on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, famous for marking the start of the holiday shopping season. We have evidently become inefficiently attached to materials and are spending more money than ever, even in the wake of a double-dip financial crisis. We are consumed in an era of materialism; where our smiles are defined by our possessions and only ‘the more’ can indeed make us merrier. Christmas has thus become a golden glittery balloon of consumerism: Gifting the latest, eating the biggest and partying until the ungodly hours. A marathon of excess and extremism. Now, by all means, celebrating together is always in order; by then I ask: Are we truly joyful in “the season to be jolly”?
This brings me to my core argument. The true spirit of Christmas is not so much about spending and buying, rather it is about loving, sharing and celebrating the joy of the birth of Jesus Christ. Buying your child the latest video game without dedicating the time to ask them how school is going, does not make them feel any more loved; buying your spouse an expensive gift without plucking up the courage to look them in the eye and tell them how much you love them, also does not make them feel any more loved.. and the list goes on.
Therefore, this behaviour leaves me to conclude that perhaps we keep trying to fill in this void with superficial and materialistic possessions. We have replaced verbal praises with glittery Christmas cards, we have learned to proclaim our love with beautifully-wrapped goodies and thus no longer celebrate authentic, simple and no-frills kind of love. I reiterate the fact that expressing compassion with a special gift is by no means wrong; our wrong-doing lies when we depend on them as a way of showing affection and celebrating the joy of Christmas. Yes, we may be laughing, partying and singing, but without real, loving relationships, our life lacks fulfilment and meaning.
Instead, let’s aim to celebrate this Christmas with a difference. Let’s not focus on making the best turkey stuffing for Christmas lunch, rather let us make sure that our loved ones are close by; let’s commit ourselves to dedicating quality time with our children, rather than making sure that Father Christmas brings the latest gadget. We should instead focus on nourishing our family values and make our peers feel appreciated and respected.
Furthermore, we should also think about those who are perhaps less fortunate than we are. Let’s keep in mind the children in the orphanages, the poor, the sick, the elderly and the lonely. Let’s take it a step further and commit ourselves to take action: Make a donation, organise a round of fund-raising, visit the elderly and the orphans. One kind gesture is all that it takes; you can be a light to someone this festive season.
The battle between light and darkness lies in the soul of each and every one of us, but its assuring to know that indeed we can do something about it. Take some time to reflect on your actions this Advent. Let’s prepare for Christmas with an open heart ready to love. Let your own light shine out of darkness with good deeds that transmit rays of love to others. Make an effort and become someone’s light this Christmas.
Maria Stivala