By ADEMOLA ORUNBON
This year’s Christmas is the 2016th edition since the first Christmas heralded the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. The stage for that was set in Bethlehem, a small town in Judea. The cast included Joseph, Mary, the shepherds and the angels. Baby Jesus, whose birth is synonymous with Christmas, is the central issue of Christmas. The message of Christmas is that of joy and peace. That was the heavenly message brought by the multitude of angels who appeared in heaven and overwhelmed the shepherds in the field.
The angel’s message was straight- “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men!” Luke 2:14. That was the message from heaven that marked Christmas. Therefore, any other issue, concern, expectation, desire or want that is not in tandem with this eternal message is not for Christmas. Any desire not geared towards giving God Glory and in turn promoting peace and goodwill towards men on earth contradicts the spirit and purpose of Christmas.
On that note, it is right to ask what your expectations at Christmas are. Are your expectations geared towards mundane things or focused on the message of Christmas? Many people have varied expectations at Christmas – some good, some bad. Some are expecting gifts from someone. Some want to go for exotic shopping spree. Some want a new car. Some want to complete their house. The expectations are many and varied. For many, unless their expectations are met, there is no Christmas in their subconscious.
If your expectations fall short of the central theme of Christmas, which is joy, peace and goodwill, you should retract it and have the right spirit. Remember that Christmas has no end. As long as the earth exists with human beings, there will be Christmas celebration. In a matter of twelve months from now, there will be another Christmas. So, nobody should kill him or herself because of this year’s Christmas. Mellow down/lie low; take life easy. What will be will be with or without you. Thank God specially that you are alive to celebrate another Christmas. That is the greatest gift. One of the main features of Christmas is mass movement of people from one place to another. There are international travels across the continents, regions and countries. Over and above there are domestic travels within the country. In Nigeria, for instance, the traditional movement at this time is from the West to the Eastern states and then North to the Southern states. There is this air of hurry, hurry, hurry! Many people appear to be in a hurry to reach their destination, meet certain goals/targets before the year ends. The event of Christmas, which comes on December 25, just six days to the end of the year accentuates this haste.
Somehow, there is false feeling in some individuals of if I don’t accomplish the set objective, meet a target or goal, there won’t be another chance. But that is completely fallacious. There is no particular Christmas that would mark the end of Christmas, opportunities, expectations and targets. Soon after Christmas comes the New Year that opens a brand new world of opportunities. Those that lost their lives during Christmas “rush” don’t ever get another chance to celebrate another Christmas. I am a bit hesitant to adduce “rush” to Christmas because there was nothing in the first Christmas that suggested “rush”, especially for mundane things. The duo of Joseph and Mary, on their way to Bethlehem to get registered in a census ordered by Caesar Augustus (63 BC-14 AD), the Roman Governor were travelling on a donkey, that walked normally. The shepherds were in the field keeping night watch over their flock under a serene atmosphere when the multitude of angels appeared with the message of Christmas. It was only after the angels had departed back into heaven that the Bible said the shepherds “went with haste” to Bethlehem to confirm what the angels had said. The rush was geared towards meeting Baby Jesus in the manger and not for any material purpose. I have dwelt on the issue of rush at Christmas because it is the cause of many deaths on the roads in Nigeria during this season. The high rate of Road accidents that has become another nightmare in Nigeria worsens during Christmas. This is very sad.
Some days ago, on my way to visit my family members iLagos, at about 8:30 am, I saw two accidents on a stretch of Epe/Ajah-Lagos Road that is less than ten kilometre away. The first one involved a yellow passenger mini bus that hit a private car from the back. The argument that ensued between drivers, their passengers and members of the public who gathered caused an unexpected traffic holdup early that morning. We managed to wriggle out.
Then, just about twenty minutes later on the same road, a more devastating accident occurred. A private Toyota jeep coming on the opposite side of the road on top speed, apparently lost control and instead of turning at a sharp bend and hit the raised pavement, jumped it and ended up smashing the car at the roundabout on the other side. Three young men and a lady quickly jumped out of the car apparently unhurt. Smoke was spewing from the car, very pathetic and touching. The whole thing happened in just a flash. Luckily, no vehicle was coming at the time because it was still early morning.
These accidents are happening because people are rushing to their destinations. I am sure that all plans made for that car’s use this Christmas were suddenly truncated that morning because the driver didn’t exercise restraint while on the wheel. The truth is that there is no need rushing to do anything during this festive period. It is not mandatory that one must travel. It is better not to travel and stay alive for another Christmas than get oneself into trouble. It is important to point out that the way Christmas is celebrated in Nigeria is different from the way it is celebrated in other climes. In the Western world, for instance the prices of goods are slashed apparently to make things affordable to all and sundry. Shops open Christmas sales where every imaginable item is sold at rock bottom price. That culture promotes and brings joy to millions at Christmas.
But here in Nigeria, the stakes are high. Once it is December 1st, the prices of set item in the market skyrocket beyond measures. Everything from food items, clothing, shoes, household utensils, etc, have their prices raised. Many business men stock pile goods to be sold at Christmas, for that is when they make high profit.
Orunbon writes from Lagos.