By Tai Olaniyi
World over especially in the Christendom the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated with pomp and pageantry on and around December 25 of the year.
Celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ if and when more heart anchored than mere of lips service, is worth the effort and attunement at conscious interludes than mere its story telling, holidaying and party making typical of global Christians in the nations they domicile.
Christmas celebration depicts both spiritual and material significances from its arcane origin of God’s love for humankind through personages in various traditions until the advent of the incarnation of the Supreme Being in mortal flesh of whom today we revere as our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is such and that a truism the biblical saying, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life”.John,3:16.
Stories and archival materials about the authenticity of the birth of “Christ Consciousness” in our Lord Jesus Christ abound in various traditions and not only limited to the Bible .
However as it is aptly posited in the Holy Bibles the authenticity or may I say believe or the none of it lies with the individual in search of the reality of the real birth of Christ in one and us all.
The birth of Christ is entirely a mystical union of spirituality in soul essence with the mortal flesh in conscious interludes.
When the Christ is born into the world of the individual whosoever, ever believes also as it was in Christ Jesus, old things shall pass away, things shall become anew in the life of the individual and then the collectivity of such with people of like minds.
To renew, or reenact the significance of such a moment, thus, the periodicity of the celebration of Christmas both home and abroad as a moment of God, the Creator’s care for special needs of humanity’s soul for eternal repose in the Kingdom of God .
The love of God thus imbued in Master Jesus the Christ is same replicated in us all without prejudice of religion, irreligion, sects, denominations, gender, race or other discriminatory attributes man heap around ourselves.
Should we or not also extend such love, peace and harmony to all humanity this festive season of Christmas and the approach of New Year?
What a privilege for Son of Man to be and touch the exact location of where our Lord Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem when on pilgrimage to Holy Land of Israel in 2011/ 2012 but which unfortunately today is engulfed in war and its skirmishes with the Palestinians and allied.
I felt highly privileged being at a Christmas celebration organized by Pastor Comrade Makinde of Handicapped Job Center of Nigeria, HAJOCON for Children with Special Needs from about 9 nodal points in State of Osun.
His love for the underprivileged and efforts at giving succour to those helpless children, his aspirations for raising the consciousness of those in privileged positions to the plights of those needing assistance in myriad of ways, further convince me the need for the celebration of Christmas.
Celebrating Christ’s birth at this time the entire world is engulfed in wars, Covid -19 pandemic and miseries may directly or indirectly renew in us all the consciousness of the Christ in us all and the need for us all to honour the Prince of Peace.
I was that Saturday, 12 December 2020 moved and thrilled by the caring heart that brought about the occasion where the God given talents were exhibited by those vision impaired, those with auditory problems, on wheel chairs and crutches, and many others made handicap by fate, misfortune and society we all Nigerians today belong.
A society where politics and religions are thriving enterprises, filthy money making ventures and a nation which youths see no light at the end of the tunnels than partake in yahoo, insane music , cultism, political thuggery “Oraisa” and violence of all sorts.
A nation where capable hands are incapacitated through poor governance by those governing they that they misgovern and a nation where kidnapping, banditry and bloodshed are more of emblem, national flag and anthem than “Faith, Unity and Peace” as noble underlining national motto.
For those that shall remain caring for the needs of those that need our love, harmony, kindliness and peace at Christmas celebration, everyday and time, kindly join me in prayer of the heart as we all sing:
“Come in to my heart, come in to my heart Lord Jesus. Come in today, come in to stay.
Come in to my heart Christ Jesus.”
On this note I humbly wish us all Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year.