THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Christmas is by far the favourite holiday season for many people, not only in Eswatini but also in the entire world.

Perhaps because it comes at the end of the calendar year, having received payments from small informal savings; for some in the corporate space, receiving 13th cheques and bonuses; for some it is the payment of shares and profits. For some it is not financially related but career or educational expediency, the realisation of achieving something meaningful at the end of the year makes one feel good. Whatever the motivation, people are generally happier during this season and many are initiated to all sorts of behaviours.

Focus

As families, we need to anchor ourselves and our children on the true meaning of the season. I will not get into the historic background of the day and how we, who profess Christianity, celebrate the birth of our Lord on this particular day. My focus is on the historic event, where God decided to dwell with His creation. Even before Jesus was born, many prophesies were made that He would come and save us from our sins.

The coming of Jesus, Him taking human form, was so that He could identify with our physical struggles and limitations. His coming is laced with sacrifice, love and warmth. These are important elements to observe during this season. Jesus left the beauty and majesty of heaven and confined Himself to the human body. As we remember His birth, we need to embrace the spirit of sacrifice, this we do in words and actions. Married spouses need to make introspection and identify areas where they need to sacrifice for the betterment of their marital and family life.

In sacrifice, there is a lot of giving that must be done; we sacrifice our time by giving it away to the ones who need it the most. All year round you were unavailable, busy with everything else. The Christmas season needs you and I to slow down and attend to those who love us. Give your immediate family enough time this Christmas season, it is okay to wake up and just sit around and be lost in conversation.

Conversations

These conversations, which are engraved in our memories, can be initiated by food, board games, leisure walks and even chores. However you deal with it, of great importance is that you give your family your time. I know for some it is a big sacrifice to make, because they would rather use the time to catch up on many other things but family. Embracing the Christmas spirit is sacrificing your time for your loved ones. Traditionally, this is the time we share with our extended families and solidify family-bonds. I wish to caution all of us to take all precautions as we have those family gatherings, we need to be vigilant and not make those gathering to be super-spreaders of COVID-19. We can conduct ourselves in a prudent manner by observing all the precautions as advised by the Ministry of Health.

In sacrifice there is also sharing, we share our wealth with our nuclear and extended family. We also extend a helping hand to neighbours and strangers – that is the beauty of this season, especially when we give to those without the ability to give back to us. Jesus shares His life with many who acknowledge and receive Him as their saviour. When we also share with others, we keep alive the Christmas spirit – you do not need to have a lot to give, you give what you have, whether big or small. Giving is more about the condition of the heart than the condition of the pocket. When we share with others, we show the love of Christ. These are characteristics that we must have in abundance in our families and marriages.

God

The Holy Scriptures teach us that for God loved the world that He gave His only begotten son – where there is love there is giving. Let us emulate Christ in our families and give gifts of love to those around us. I wish to beseech parents to teach their children this profound attribute of giving and helping those in need – let us challenge our children to put money aside in preparation for a gift they will give to a stranger during the Christmas season. Christmas brings warmth to the heart and makes us cheerful. This warmth and cheerfulness are a result of your actions and we are responsible for keeping that warmth and cheer. Jesus brought warmth and cheer to His parents, the Wise men from the East and the Shepherds in the mountain – the Holy Bible records that they were filled with great joy. Who is your family bringing great joy to during this Christmas season? Maybe you do not need to go too far, your spouse and/or your children could be recipients of that warmth and cheer. My plea to you is that you embrace the Christmas spirit and spread it around your sphere of influence. Unto us a son is given and government shall be upon His shoulders – meaning He shall lead the way and we follow.  A blessed Christmas season to you! Send comments to adminsec@mbac.co.sz

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