On Sunday, Christians in Ghana will join their counterparts throughout the world to observe Christmas, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, in a manger in Bethlehem. Generally, in Ghana, the day is marked with merry-making. But as we celebrate the day, we should not forget the real essence of the celebrations. Jesus is the most important figure in the Christian world; He is not ordinary in Christendom. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born by virgin Marry, a woman who did not know a man.

The fact that Jesus was born by ordinary people- Mary and Joseph, a carpenter, in a manger, shows his humility, which He demonstrated in His life time. If there is one person who has influenced our lives greatly, it is Jesus and the only way mankind can celebrate His birth is to lift high his Royal banner. On this day, we must exalt him and live by his teachings fully.

Christmas is a period Christians have to renew their faith in the son of God, and pray unceasingly for their salvation as believers in his great ministry. Christ performed unprecedented miracles to demonstrate his abundant love for; among other things, he raised the dead, healed the sick and cast demons out of people possessed by evil spirits to make them free and whole again. He made the blind see and the lame to walk. His life is exemplary, and we must try to live the way he did for the peace we need to develop as a nation. Jesus was a virtuous man, He was kind, loving, merciful, gracious, obedient, tolerant and hardworking. He taught us to live a righteous life that will not only secure for us our redemption, but also help us to contribute towards the development of the society in which we live. It is in this context that when the Pharisees shamefully tried to trap him, He told them to give to Ceaser what belongs to Ceaser and give to God what belongs to God. This is the only way we shall give meaning to the celebration of Christmas, the day Our Lord Jesus Christ was born.

As we mark the day, _The True Statesman_ wishes to appeal to Ghanaians, Christians in particular, to avoid materialism that has resulted in greed, corruption, cheating and naked robbery, even among Christians that has diminished the significance of the birth of Christ and His works. Sadly, the celebration of Christmas in this country is characterized by lorry accidents which claim many human lives. This is not the wish of God who wants us to live a meaningful and satisfying life. The pain is self-inflicted because motorists have refused to observe simple traffic regulations. Among the offensive practices the drivers indulge in are doing overtaking where they should not, driving while they have drunk alcohol, which is against the law. Most of them do not maintain their vehicles and some insist driving when they are drowsy, resulting in crashes which claim precious lives. Drivers are supposed to take full control of the vehicles without any distraction whatsoever for a safe journey. But, alas, the use of mobile phones by drivers whilst driving has become a common thing, jeopardizing the lives of passengers.

Without divine intervention, no imminent disaster can be prevented in the loss of concentration by a driver who is on the telephone while driving. Only last Tuesday, at least, six people lost their lives in a motor accident on the Kumasi-Obuasi road in Ashanti due to over-taking.

The True Statesman appeals to drivers to respect traffic laws to save lives. Already, statistics show that from the beginning of this year to date, two people die every day, through lorry accidents; this is an alarming figure, and our motorists must be cautious about the alarming rate of accidents on our roads this year and the consequent death toll, and save the country from further agony in this Christmas which is supposed to give us peace and love. _The True Statesman_ wishes its numerous readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and promised them exciting news reports in the coming year.

The True Statesman

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