Reclaim Christmas

THE EDITOR, Sir:

There are some things happening in the world which Jamaica need not follow.

One of these is the desecration and secularisation of Christmas. From the year 336, this time of the year has been observed throughout the Western world as the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

In recent years, there has been such a decline in the spiritual life of the Western world that this essentially religious season has been converted into a time of moneymaking, pleasure seeking, and sin glorifying.

The Bible declares that His Name was called Jesus "for He shall save His people from their sins". December 25, a date chosen because of the calculations of Hippolytus, coincided with the pagan festival which celebrated the 'day of the sun'. The 25th was, therefore, interpreted as the birthday of the 'Sun of Righteousness'.

Christmas was intended to be, not just a holiday, but a joyful 'holy day'. It is righteousness which exalts a nation. Christmas is a time for mankind to "seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness". That was the central principle of life which Jesus Christ brought to the world.

morphing into pagan festival

It is, therefore, a travesty of the season to be promoting increased unrighteousness during Christmas. The advertisements on the mass media of moneymaking, including gambling, of licentious pleasure seeking, and of indulging in the quest for material possessions, have caused Christmas to deteriorate into a pagan festival of sin.

In this regard, it is unfortunate that it is being suggested that the general election to select the leaders of our nation could be held at the height of the Christmas season! In other words, as a nation we would be forced to concentrate our attention on the kingdom of man above the kingdom of God.

It is time to recover Christmas! As our country sinks deeper into moral and spiritual degradation, it is time to rediscover what Jesus Christ brought into the world. It is He, not any human being, who is able to bring about peace on earth and goodwill among men. It is by following Christ that we can overcome the crime, violence, corruption and immorality which are threatening to destroy us.

EARL THAMES (Rev)

Spaldings PO, Clarendon