Jemima Agyare comments on CHRISTmas

Jemima Agyare
Jemima Agyare

The main question on everyone's lips is, 'how are you spending Christmas this year?' For me the answer to this question tends to change on a yearly basis: there is no such thing as a 'standard' Christmas in my world. From childhood right up to present day, the celebration of Christmas has always involved an eclectic mix of different cultural practises which I have grown to appreciate. Growing up in a Ghanaian household Christmas was viewed as a time for everybody and anybody to celebrate in the festivities and this is reflected in the 'open-house' policy adopted by various family members. Indeed in recent years, when spending Christmas with family in London, the exact number of guests for Christmas dinner was not known and by the end of the day approximately thirty people had passed by for Christmas dinner (and that is a conservative estimate)!

It is a well-rehearsed topic that Christmas is becoming far too commercial and that we are moving further and further away from its true meaning. Also, as Britain is becoming more of a multicultural society we are disposing of some of the essential elements of Christmas in favour of a more 'politically-correct' notion of what Christmas should entail. I believe that this does not have to be the case and we should not abandon the foundational Christian elements of Christmas. We can embrace different ways in which Christmas is celebrated without losing sight of the true meaning of Christmas. The message of Christmas is universal: that Jesus Christ came into the world as the Messiah and the way in which all mankind can be reconciled to God. This is an amazing message of love, hope and victory - a message that transcends all cultures, norms and practises. Irrespective of how you chose to celebrate the birth of Christ, this truth should be at the centre of everything. So this Christmas, amidst all the celebrations and festivities, take time to focus on this and put everything else into perspective.

Merry Christmas to you all and I pray that this year you will experience the true joy of CHRISTmas. CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.