Saturday, December 23, 2006 Libre: Jesus still rules By Mel Libre Seriously Now
DEBATE on whether Christmas has become a commercial venture rather than a religious celebration comes with the season.
Right after Jesus’ death and during the early Christian period when persecution was the order of the day, one can say no merchants sold items about the Risen Lord or His birth. Business-minded people must have started to cash in on Christmas when Christians had reached a critical mass through the conversions of rulers and the rise to power of the Roman Catholic papacy.
While there seems to be so much materialism during the yuletide season, Christ’s message still persists so long as people give rather than expect to receive. Even in Japan where Christians are a small minority, the celebration is still focused on the idea of giving and loving.
The groundbreaking “Live Aid” that transformed minor rock star Bob Geldof into a celebrity (he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth of England) brought to the fore starvation in Africa. It has as its anthem Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” That inspired the Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie collaboration “We are the World” that brought in more donations for Africa.
While trash and the excesses of celebrities shock us, we have Bill Gates, one of the most hated man on earth for nearly monopolizing the software industry that he created anyway, who gave away the bulk of his money to the world’s poorest. It further astounds us that the man that followed Gates in terms of monetary resources has joined the charitable party. And many more are following suit, or are doing it for sometime in their own unique ways.
What is sad is the exploitation of the story of Jesus by writers who want to cash in on His name by besmirching His reputation. The “Da Vinci Code” was not the first to weave a novel based on a false premise. There were worse works in the past and there will be more in the future. The attack has even shifted to the Virgin Mother Mary, whom one author claims was a victim of rape.
What other crap will people do to destroy a religion that began with His death on the cross to save humankind?
Another attack on Christmas and Christianity comes from politically correct groups and individuals. They claim that verbalizing one’s faith to others of different religious is disrespectful, thus the campaign to use “Season’s Greetings” or “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” or to prohibit the use of the God in anything that uses government funds. There was the move to delete the phrase “In God We Trust” from the US monetary bill. Or to take out “So help me God” from the oath before a court or legal officer.
But the miracle of miracles is that Jesus continues to rule even in this cynical and materialistic world. Why? Because He taught and lived a life of loving, giving and forgiving. That is Christmas, now and forever.
