Lest We Forget: Commercialization of Christmas at the Expense of Knowing Jesus Christ

By Joe Kingsley Eyiah, OCT, Toronto-Canada

As we approach December 25, many are feverishly preparing for the season of Christmas (Christ-mas), the supposed day on which our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born on the planet earth about 2000 years ago. The true origin of Christmas is another thesis to write about! However, history tells us that December 25 could not be the birthday of the Greatest MAN, Jesus Christ, that the earth had ever experienced. Blessed be His Holy Name!

My question to all (especially, Christians) who celebrate Christmas as an honor to Christ is: Do you truly know Jesus Christ? What many who participate in the festivities associated with Christmas fail to see is the commercialization of the season as its pagan origin rightly invoked-a time for conspicuous consumption and unequaled revelry (see The Buffalo News of Nov. 22, 1984).

Though we welcome the traditions and sentiments of “peace and goodwill towards all” that Christmas brings with its season, the love of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, should make us live in peace with ALL people at ALL times. Spending money on or showering gifts on the poor ONLY during Christmas is not Christ-like! The commercial houses and other manufacturers wait on the Christmas season to “exploit” the masses.

The origin of Santa Clause (Bishop St. Nicholas from Santa Claus) was associated with gifts-giving. Santa Claus has now taken centre stage in the celebration of Christmas at the expense of Jesus Christ whose “supposed birthday” is being remembered the world round! Traders, photographers and some entertainers always use Santa to commercialize Christmas. Unfortunately, Christmas has now become Santa verses Christ! I was not surprised to watch in the news from United States of America recently how a house owner was driven with frustration of the apparent commercialization of Christmas at the disadvantage of “Christ” to come up with an unusual Christmas-decoration in front of his house to the displeasure of his neighbors and passer-bys. In his decoration, the man has depicted Jesus Christ with a gun pointing to a fallen Santa inferring that Christ has shot dead Santa. Could this thinking be a reflection of what commercialization is doing to the ‘true meaning’ of Christmas?

When I was a child, Christmas meant a lot to me. Now I care less about Christmas knowing that it has a lot of pagan practices associated with it. Did you know that the Christmas tree was long in existence before Christ was born? And that tree is mentioned in the Bible as the way of the heathen and NOT of God’s children? (Read about it in the Bible from Jeremiah 10 verses 2 to 5). Whatever be your take on Christmas, know that its origin is not Christian and its celebration is Commerce and not Christ. However, if you are celebrating Christmas as an honor and worship of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ then remember the words of Christ Himself in Revelation 22:12; And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Dear reader, Jesus Christ who the ‘noise of Christmas-the Yule’ is all supposedly about is coming again soon! Are you ready for Him? MARANATHA.