Why Christmas is Important this Summer
05:50
I love that song
because it makes us wish for the best of the season even in the face of
daunting economic challenges. What is your Christmas Dream? How are you working
to achieve that dream? When you reach out to people, share your possessions,
love genuinely and kill every form of greed then we can all achieve a truly
White Christmas as we used to know.
I am sure many
would be amazed at the choice of both the topic and the content of tbis piece. Don’t
worry I am not bereft of ideas to write, neither am I lazy but rather this
borne out deep thoughts and reflections. Let me tell you why.
This idea of Christmas
in summertime first came to me in 2010. I was fresh out of the university [just
about a week old as a Political Science graduate] and needed this perfect
graduation vacation so I applied to attend World Summer Camp organized by the
International Youth Foundation, IYF. I had registered with Etudiants Sans Frontieres, Students
without Borders. It was my first time outside the country as the event was held
at the very beautiful and majestic Palais De Congress, Cotonou Benin
Republic.
One of the high
points of the one week camp was a musical titled “Christmas in Summer” a very impressive Choral group based in New
York but with Korean origin. Oh the whole show was magical! The lights, props,
vocals and above all, the message – giving; was absolutely thrilling!
Now since my
childhood days I have heard the song Song White Christmas and growing up,I
dream of a Christmas of love, of peace, of sharing, of mutual respect, of
family unity. A Christmas of plenty; where there are no long queues in our fuel
stations [common sight in Nigeria during festive periods] , where food prices
are affordable to all…
But how is it
related to summer? What is the nexus?
Doing
Right
You exist on earth
so people can benefit from you, just as you learn from them. Doing right
implies by living according to the rule Do
unto others, what you want done to you.
You may be like the
proverbial cat with nine lives, but you have got one life to live! What counts is how you live it. We have been
called to live quintessential lives, live full and die empty; you don't want
people talking about you for the wrong reasons especially after you are gone
from this life.
Christmas affords
us the opportunity let people benefit from us, more so does Summer. There is
joy in sharing the fun, contentment in helping others achieve their dreams and
satisfaction in the smiles of gifts brings to the faces of beneficiaries. You
can Guide the trend of how people would talk about you when you are gone,
especially while you are alive; do right!
Giving
Right
"Chukwu gbalu
gi Christmas, gbalu obodo gi " [if God blesses you, then bless others]. The words of Chief Morocco
Maduka, popular Nigerian highlife singer. The statement above simply means
"if God had blessed you for Christmas, then bless your community".
This is quite instructive when we look at it in line with the principle of
giving. One of the fallouts of summer is sharing albeit in a wasteful form.
You see most
people share because of what they want to receive in return. The giving that
comes during summer is such that it leads to vices rather than promote virtues.
The Booze, Orgies, Wild Parties, Women and all other forms of profligacy.
According to the
riches in Christ Glory have you been blessed, why hold back in blessing others
with your gifts, talents, treasure, time and thinking? Give, even when it
hurts! But please don't give because you want to please people or even steal
because you want to give. "o me ngbo ji ka onye oshi mma". (he who
gives when he has is better than a thief).
Loving
Right
In the movie
"Annie", we see that girl who wouldn't give up the search for her
parents despite being in the ‘system’. Even in the midst of hopelessness, she
kept loving and doing right. You wouldn’t even know she couldn’t read, yet she
was smart. She gave hope to the other kids and kept their faith alive. She was
highly spirited.
Many lessons to
learn from the movie but one striking "key derivable" [if I may
borrow from a friend] is her sweet generosity even to those who are in the same
condition as her. Annie was loved by all not just because she was smart, witty
and charming; no. Her kindness marked her out hence the happy ending through
her adoption by Mr. Stacks.
You could say she
shared Christmas even during summer, and she wasn’t wasteful about it. Even in
your worse conditions, there is something you can give. It need not be material;
the gift of hope, of faith, of Charity is sublime!
The
Real Spirit of Christmas
K.R.Ravindran, President Rotary International
2015 - 2016 once wrote in the December 2016 edition of the Rotarian Magazine..
"When the
Canadian army liberated the Netherlands in 1945, they found the country on the
brink of starvation. Seeing the suffering of so many, and especially moved by
the faces of the children, four Canadian privates stationed near Apeldoorn that
year decided to make that Christmas special for as many Dutch children as they
could.
Together, they made
the rounds among their fellow soldiers, collecting chocolate bars and chewing
gum, candy and comic books. In their spare moments, they built toy trucks out
of wood and wire, sawed scrap lumber for building blocks; one, risking the
military police, sold his cigarette ration on the black market, using the money
to buy rag dolls. Each thought longingly of his own family at home; each
channeled his energies instead toward the children whose Christmas they knew
they could brighten.
By 1 December, four
sacks of gifts lay ready; the soldiers eagerly looked forward to the 25th. But
two days later, they learned the date they were to depart for Canada: 6
December, long before Christmas. With mixed emotions, the soldiers decided that
the best plan simply would be to take their sacks over to the local orphanage
and leave them there to await Christmas.
The night before
they were to leave the Netherlands, the four set off for the orphanage, one of
them in a makeshift white beard and red cap. On their way, they were surprised
to hear church bells ringing and see houses lit brightly, with Christmas still
some weeks away. As they approached the orphanage, boots crunching in the snow,
they saw through the windows that the children, two dozen girls and boys, were
gathered at their evening meal. Only a few months after the war's end, food was
still scarce; the meal was small, and the children's faces pale and thin.
"Santa
Claus" raised the knocker on the door and knocked three times, hard. As if
by magic, the chatter of young voices inside fell silent; a priest opened the
door. His polite expression gave way to one of shock, as the children behind
him erupted into cheers, rushing forward and swarming the private who had
dressed for Christmas three weeks early – but exactly on time. For in the
Netherlands, Sinterklaas comes on St. Nicholas Eve: 5 December.
For an hour, joyful
chaos reigned as packages were opened and exclaimed over, sweets were tasted,
dolls caressed. The last wooden truck, the last bar of chocolate, went into the
hands of a little boy who had been waiting patiently all the while. After
thanking the men, he turned to the priest and said something to him in Dutch,
his face alight with happiness. The priest smiled and nodded. "What did he
say?" one of the soldiers asked.
The priest looked
at them with eyes full of tears. "He said, 'We told you he would
come.'"
By sending joy out
into the world, we do not sacrifice it for ourselves – we only multiply it. As
we enter this season of giving, let us multiply the gifts we have been given by
sharing them with others. Through acts of caring, kindness, and generosity, in
our clubs and through our Foundation, we become and remain a gift to the
world".
Christmas teaches
us to be caring and to improve in our loving, giving and sharing attitude.
Though Summer espouses fun, excitement, relaxation, adventure and a whole lot
of spending for the fortunate, well, it is an auspicious opportunity to lean
aback, look at the world today and consider sharing our things with them. There
are a lot of charities, Causes and Foundations you can give to. This is the
real message of Christmas. It is not a one off thing, but a daily witnessing to
love, kindness and brotherliness; a virtue rapidly phasing out in our world.
You may have
planned for Summer, don’t worry, jut like the soldiers, you can begin now to
plan for Christmas!
Share Christmas
this Summer - Do right, Give Right, Love Right!
I sure hope I have
not been profligate with my words today!
OjisiEmezie
2 comments
Nice
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Sami. Do not forget to share so your friends can also learn.
ReplyDelete