Has Christmas Failed? Reflections No 564, 2 December 2011

There is much evil in the world and we ask ourselves if we followers
have done as he asked and tried to change the world. Have we been active
and alive, lovingly helping our neighbors like the Good Samaritan? Have
we done nothing, helped no one? 'Faith without action is dead', writes
St James in the New Testament.

In much of society materialistic pagan-like carnivals have replaced the
spiritual revolution Jesus preached. Even the word 'Christmas' has been
replaced with 'Season's Greetings'. Keeping Christ out of Christmas is the
norm. For many it is no longer a celebration of the birth of the
greatest person the world has ever known but a hedonistic holiday, a
time to party eat to excess, get drunk and indulge in selfish pursuits.

This is a challenge for all followers who believe that justice and truth are more important than lies and exploitation; that love of neighbor is
greater and more noble than hatred and oppression, that working for
freedom for the innocent and to reduce hunger and disease is a great
Christian virtue.

Christmas is the time when we renew our belief in these spiritual values
and turn them into action by helping others without looking for a
reward.

The child from Nazareth grew to be a prodigy of inspiration and wisdom.
From his earliest years he saw in the temple the contradictions of
established religion and its hypocritical compromises with the cruel
despotic secular world.

Many years later he returned there as a prophet and teacher and chased
away the money changers who had commercialized the house of God. He
challenged the religious authorities to end abuse, to be compassionate
to the poor, do justice and end oppression. They killed him for that.

Christmas is more than twinkling lights, rites and ritual hymns and
Halleluiahs. Without a commitment to lasting values the Christmas
celebration is no more than money-making, jingle bells and a partridge in a
pear tree.

Christmas is the celebration of the values that Jesus lived and died
for. It's the time for us to renew our commitment to live them daily. To
be one with Christ is to oppose violence, war, fear, child and women
abuse, exploitation. It is planting and nurturing peace, unselfish love,
kindness, justice and the dignity of the person. Many have done just
that and have achieved remarkable results in the past fifty years.

These sublime Christian values, moral and spiritual, coming from the
teaching and practice of Jesus of Nazareth have seeped into society. In
developed countries greater recognition of the rights of poor, the
hungry, sick, unemployed and homeless people is evident through welfare
and social services. Despite ongoing roll backs and austerity, it's
better than 100 years ago. There is much to be positive, optimistic and
joyful about.

While much, much more has yet to be achieved, especially in the
developing world, women's and children rights and dignity are now highly
recognized and protected. The conventions on human rights especially
the rights of the child, women, workers and many more are big steps
forward in our time and we have to continue working for their
implementation around the world.

Unthinkable in the past we can now witness the International Criminal
Court bringing tyrants and mass murderers to justice and convicting them
for their crimes against humanity. Former Ivory Coast President Laurent
Gbagbo was arrested recently and flown to The Hague to stand trial.
Arrest warrants are out for Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir for
allegedly committing war crimes in Darfur. Many more accused are facing
the court.