The true meaning of Christmas: a new take on an old story

The true meaning of Christmas: a new take on an old story

by | Dec 22, 2020 | Inspirational, Spiritual

Christmas has always been my favourite time of the year. Streets and homes are lit in bright colours. Chimneys and trees are decorated. Families who haven’t seen each other for some time meet again for some holiday cheer (or drama depending on your family :)). Children rejoice at their end-of-year school vacation and, of course,… PRESENTS! So, is that the true meaning of Christmas?

When I was a child…

… Christmas was a very special time. We didn’t celebrate Christmas on December 25, but December 31. It was a combined Christmas and New Year celebration, and I cherished every minute of it!

In those days, it wasn’t about the Christmas tree – in fact we never had one. Nor was it about the presents  – we didn’t have those either. Yet the house always buzzed with excitement and trepidation days before the big event. And everyone had a role to play.
My brother and I helped decorate our walls with all kinds of garlands – both Christmassy and New Year’s Eve-y.
And I would accompany my dad to Giza’s biggest open market. It had everything, and I mean EVE-RY-THING! The baker next to the car mechanic. The vegetable market across from the butcher’s. The live animal market down the street from your favourite textile store. 

Traditional Giza open market with a potato seller and buyers.
Vegetables market in Giza, Egypt.
Picture by Khaled Elfiqi / EPA

I loved following my dad through the market’s maze of dirt roads, jumping over potholes, soaking-in every scent, colour and noise.

The feast

“I see you bought half the market again!” my mother would exclaim as we entered the house laden with bags over bags of meat, fish, bread, vegetables, fruits and a plethora of delicious Egyptian sweets.

All of our close friends were about to gather at our home that evening. There was no doubt as to why we were meeting, and who or what we were celebrating. And as evening time neared, my excitement grew, for I knew my dad would soon take out his Tabla (Egyptian drum), and our home would be filled with music, songs and laughter.  Not to mention – delicious scents of the great feast that was awaiting us!
God had gifted himself to us in our own image – our mortal human form – so we can live forever. This was a time of great rejoicing and thanks giving!

It’s 5 minutes before midnight.

The music stops. The chatter breaks down. The house lights get shut. Candles are lit. Incense scents replace the earlier food smells. And we would all kneel down in our living room.

We kneel before God in prayer and praise

H. usually led the prayer, with everybody else chanting after him in beautiful harmony and unison, as we welcomed the New Year:

“Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh (I am who I am – Exodus 3:14)
Adonai (The Lord)
Sabaot (of Hosts/Powers)
El Shaddai (God Almighty)” (Hebrew)

“Almagd lellah fel 2a3ali, we 3ala el 2ard el salam, we belnas el massarra” (Arabic for Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men – Luke 2:14)

“Kodous Allah. Kodous el qawi. Kodous el 7ay allathy la yamout” (Arabic for Holy God. Holy the Strong. Holy the Living who does not die)

“Kyrie Eleison. Kyrie Eleison. Ya rab er7am” (God have mercy)

And many more…

True meaning of Christmas. Two Pillar Candles lit in the dark.
We kneel before God in prayer and praise.
Photo by Matej Novosad from Pexels

The true meaning of Christmas

This was the true meaning of Christmas to me as a child. A time of Joy and Rejoicing. A time of Community. A time of both loud and quiet celebration of the birth of Christ – the rebirth of humanity. A time of new and hopeful beginnings.

This year more than ever, tainted by Corona restrictions and lock-downs, I’ve come to an important aha moment. I’ve come to realise just how much the Christmas we celebrate today in Western societies, and in my own home for that matter, has nothing to do with the Christmas I learned to love and cherish so much as a child.

Christmas is meant to be all about celebrating Jesus – God incarnate. Our Redeemer. And Our Saviour. But, in a secular world, that’s precisely the bit we ignore, discard, or relegate to an ignorant superstitious past.

A tale of two Christmases

We seem to have at least two kinds of Christmases today:
the Secular one, and
the Christian one.

The Secular Christmas has become the most popular kind in my view. Where Christ-mas is X-mas. Where pine trees are decorated. Where Santa Claus (originally inspired by St. Nicholas) is reminiscent of some “pagan deity” who sees everything, knows who’s naughty or nice, and bares gifts to the “good” children all around the world. Where reindeers fly, and elves rule the toy production industry. We light the biggest Christmas trees to attract shoppers, so we can keep feeding our lucrative capitalistic venture. We enjoy kissing under a mistletoe, and exchange gifts. We might still get together with family for a drink or a meal. But Emmanuel – God is with us – no one knows His name.

The Christian Christmas on the other hand has been relegated mainly to churches. We might enjoy nativity plays (well not this year). Sing Christian carols and celebrate special mass in church.
The Christian Christmas has become something you “go to”, and…
… then you’re done.
A temporary sense of Community, albeit an important one in a secular world where the belief in a Creator has become the exception rather than the rule.
And after the “Christian” bit is over, we go back home where the Christmas celebration and family reunion revolve again around the decorated Christmas tree and the gifts underneath.

I am not suggesting we get rid of either one of these forms of Christmas, and people often mix and match. But I am missing my childhood one. 

The Church within

Because I love Christmas so much, part of me is saddened that our secular society has managed to strip this celebratory act of all of its meaning; turning it into just another commercial gimmick to sell even more stuff no one needs. 

Yes, I miss my childhood Christmas.

Even though we did not go to Church that day, we WERE a Church! We gathered as believers, connected in Christ, to celebrate the birth of the greatest King of all. That was my true meaning of Christmas, and O! how I miss that.

My family is no stranger to the Secular Christian Christmas. My daughter and I go to Church (well, again not this year), sing a bunch of carols, get back home and open presents. My husband doesn’t believe in God, and so our home festivities are relegated to the secular type. Although I do get to have a handcarved wooden Manger at the feet of our Christmas tree.

Ironically, the secularisation of Christmas, with its Santas, Elves, Reindeers, and Trees has not necessarily made it any friendlier to non-Christians as it seems – see this article for one such perspective.

Don’t get me wrong. Of course, I enjoy the family reunions over Christmas around a good meal! But, that’s not the point. The point is…

I miss those Christmas/New Year celebrations of my childhood – this year more than ever. I miss…
… the friendly gathering. I miss…
… the laughters. I miss…
… the jokes. I miss…
… the singing. I miss…
… that sense of Community. I miss…
… the spiritual praise of our Lord.
I miss having Church within my home.

Maybe

Maybe it is in the waiting for God,
not in the wandering from store to store,
that we find our way.

Maybe it is in the friendship of God,

not in the frenzy of crowds,
that we are led to go to the manger.

Maybe it is in the steadfast love of God,
and not in the pile of stuff under the tree,
that we find what we have been searching for all our lives.

Maybe, just maybe, God of Advent,
this year will be different.

Maybe, just maybe,
we will let you lead us to Bethlehem.

– Thom Shuman

I wish you all a Merry Christmas! May your lives be filled with Peace. Love. And God’s many Blessings. 

O COME LET US ADORE HIM, CHRIST THE LORD IS BORN!

Recommended resources: 

Christmas poems to inspire the uninspired in Corona 2020

Christmas poems to inspire the uninspired in Corona 2020

by | Dec 22, 2020 | Inspirational, Spiritual

I have loved poems since I was eight. I remember that moment so distinctly: my 3rd grade teacher picking a white chalk, and putting our first poem down on our classroom’s blackboard. I was immediately captured by the beauty of the art of writing poems – stanzas, rythm and rhyme. Little did I know that 30 years later, I would start writing my own. 

The below selection of four Christmas poems are not my own, but the beautiful work of William Arthur Dunkerley, aka John Oxenham. Courtesy of poetrycat.com. Hope you will enjoy them.

Merry Christmas!

Poem 1:  CREDO

 

Not what, but WHOM, I do believe,
That, in my darkest hour of need,
Hath comfort that no mortal creed
To mortal man may give;–
Not what, but WHOM!

For Christ is more than all the creeds,
And His full life of gentle deeds
Shall all the creeds outlive.
Not what I do believe, but WHOM!

WHO walks beside me in the gloom?
WHO shares the burden wearisome?
WHO all the dim way doth illume,
And bids me look beyond the tomb
The larger life to live?–

Not what I do believe,
BUT WHOM!
Not what,
But WHOM!

– A poem by William Arthur Dunkerly on poetrycat.com

Poem 3:  THE CHRIST

The good intent of God became the Christ.

And lived on earth–the Living Love of God,
That men might draw to closer touch with heaven,
Since Christ in all the ways of man hath trod. 

– A poem by William Arthur Dunkerly on poetrycat.com

Poem 2: A SILENT TE DEUM
  

We thank Thee, Lord,
For all Thy Golden Silences,–

For every Sabbath from the world’s turmoil;
For every respite from the stress of life;–
Silence of moorlands rolling to the skies,
Heath-purpled, bracken-clad, aflame with gorse;

Silence of grey tors crouching in the mist;
Silence of deep woods’ mystic cloistered calm;
Silence of wide seas basking in the sun;
Silence of white peaks soaring to the blue;
Silence of dawnings, when, their matins sung,
The little birds do fall asleep again;
For the deep silence of high golden noons;

Silence of gloamings and the setting sun;
Silence of moonlit nights and patterned glades;
Silence of stars, magnificently still,
Yet ever chanting their Creator’s skill;
For that high silence of Thine Open House,
Dim-branching roof and lofty-pillared aisle,
Where burdened hearts find rest in Thee awhile;

Silence of friendship, telling more than words;
Silence of hearts, close-knitting heart to heart
Silence of joys too wonderful for words;
Silence of sorrows, when Thou drawest near;
Silence of soul, wherein we come to Thee,
And find ourselves in Thine Immensity;

For that great silence where Thou dwell’st alone–
–Father, Spirit, Son, in One,
Keeping watch above Thine Own,–
Deep unto deep, within us sound sweet chords
Of praise beyond the reach of human words;
In our souls’ silence, feeling only Thee,–

We thank Thee, thank Thee,
Thank Thee, Lord!

– A poem by William Arthur Dunkerly on poetrycat.com

Poem 4: THE CHILD OF THE MAID

On Christmas Day The Child was born,
On Christmas Day in the morning;–
–To tread the long way, lone and lorn,
–To wear the bitter crown of thorn,
–To break the heart by man’s sins torn,
–To die at last the Death of Scorn.
For this The Child of The Maid was born,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

But that first day when He was born,
Among the cattle and the corn,
The sweet Maid-Mother wondering,
And sweetly, deeply, pondering
The words that in her heart did ring,
Unto her new-born king did sing,–

“My baby, my baby,
My own little son,
Whence come you,
Where go you,
My own little one?
Whence come you?

Ah now, unto me all alone
That wonder of wonders is properly known.
Where go you?
Ah, that now, ’tis only He knows,
Who sweetly on us, dear, such favour bestows.
In us, dear, this day is some great work begun,–
Ah me, little son dear, I would it were done!
I wonder … I wonder …
And–wish–it–were–done!

“O little, little feet, dears.
So curly, curly sweet!–
How will it be with you, dears,
When all your work’s complete?

O little, little hands, dears,
That creep about my breast!–
What great things you will do, dears,
Before you lie at rest!

O softest little head, dear,
It shall have crown of gold,
For it shall have great honour
Before the world grows old!

O sweet, white, soft round body,
It shall sit upon a throne!
My little one, my little one,
Thou art the Highest’s son!
All this the angel told me,
And so I’m sure it’s true,
For he told me who was coming,–
And that sweet thing is YOU.”

On Christmas Day The Child was born,
On Christmas Day in the morning;–
–He trod the long way, lone and lorn,
–He wore the bitter crown of thorn,
–His hands and feet and heart were torn,
–He died at last the Death of Scorn.
But through His coming Death was slain,
That you and I might live again.
For this The Child of The Maid was born,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

– A poem by William Arthur Dunkerly on poetrycat.com

 

For every Parent and Child, I too have a dream

For every Parent and Child, I too have a dream

by | Oct 25, 2020 | Children, Inspirational, Parenting, What If series

As you can see, I’m a bit obsessed with Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech :-). This is my second post related to that theme. You can access the first one here.
In this post, I explore my hopes and dreams for the world of parenting and the, at times, ever elusive connection between parent and child.

For every Parent and Child,
I too have a dream

I dream of a world where
children are not seen as an extension of their patents, but
people of their own right. I have a dream…

… of a world where we don’t try to “control” our children, but
rather guide them with
dignity and respect. I have a dream…

… of a world where parents teach their children,
not with reward or punishment, but
with an open heart and ear. I have a dream…

… of a world where a child’s opinion matters. I have a dream…

… of a world where children teach us, grown-ups,
how to be children again.
Where it is not the “Big” or the “Old”, but
the “Wise” who guide the blind, the hurt, and the uninspired,
no matter the age. I have a dream…

… of a world where every child knows,
down deep inside,
that they are special,
that they matter, and
that they are deeply loved. I have a dream…

… of a world where Loving Kindness prevails over Justice and Rules.

… a world of rooted connectedness
to our children, and
to the wounded child within us.

IMAGINE how powerful that bond can be,
if we allowed our children to blossom into the person they already are.

For every Parent and Child,
I too have a dream.

————

Agape

Recommended resource: Between Parent and Child, excellent book by child psychologist and parent educator Dr. Haim G. Ginott

The gifts of grief

The gifts of grief

by | Oct 24, 2020 | Inspirational, Spiritual, What If series

No life is devoid of pain and sorrow. But why? For what purpose?
So I imagined: What if Grief wrote us a letter? What would she want us to know?
Here’s what she had to say.

The gifts of grief

Many people don’t like me.
Don’t appreciate me.
They cast me aside,
Rejected.
Neglected.
Despised. 

But I ask you this:
Without me,
how would you recognise
Joy? Without me,
how would you feel
Regret? Without me,
how would you show
Forgiveness? Unearth Patience?
Cultivate Hope? Without me,
how would you know
Love?

I know my load can feel heavy and difficult to bear.
I wish it didn’t have to be that way… Yet
Pain is, and always has been, the
precursor of change and growth.

You may not always see it that way, but
you need me.

 You need me to cleanse you from your pain.

You need me to clear that fog, that
opaque armour on your soul.

You need me, so you can see more clearly,
Re-arrange that house of cards you’ve built so neatly,
Tear down that fence you’ve put up
around your heart. 

You need me.

So, next time I visit please don’t shun me away. Instead…

… Embrace me! 

Allow me to flow through you,
Imbue you with my wisdom and care. 

For when you do.
When you accept my gifts of love,
diving into the depths of Your Soul,
Your Humanity. Your Vulnerability.
Your Unadulterated Beauty,

You Will Shine!

C.S. Lewis Quote on Beginnings & Endings

C.S. Lewis Quote on Beginnings & Endings

by | Oct 24, 2020 | Inspirational, Quotes

"You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending."

What if Martin Luther King had yet another dream?

What if Martin Luther King had yet another dream?

by | Oct 15, 2020 | Inspirational, Spiritual, What If series

Martin Luther King’s speech “I Have a Dream” was one I wished I had written. Full of heart. Full of power. Full of passion. Full of naked truths. And so I wondered, what would Martin say about today’s state of affairs? And what about the internet?   

I decided to take a blogging class: “Blogging and writing for online audiences“, taught by Louise “Daisy” Johnson. 

“Yet another class?”, my husband asked. “‘Cause you don’t have enough work on your plate?”. I had to chuckle, ‘cause I knew he was right. But you see, I’ve been in a rut with my writing for some time now and I needed something to help re-ignite my inspiration to get back on that writing wagon. And what better way to do that than to take an online writing class?!   

Our “warm-up” prompt read as follows: “This week is all about warming up and settling in, and so I’d like us to flex our creative writing skills with the following exercise. Start by thinking of a figure from history that you identify with. Somebody who you think you could have a coffee with and talk about the world. That sort of a person. Now, I’d like you to think about what they’d think of the internet. Would they like it? What website would they go to? How would they use it..? Please post your responses in the forum…”   

Wow, that’s just the warm-up? This is gonna be a great class!   

I spent a few days musing over whom I would pick, and what my personal thoughts about the internet were. 

My first idea was to pick Jesus of Nazareth. What would the Son of God say about the Internet? But the task of writing on Jesus’ behalf felt daunting. How could I possibly ever do Him justice? 

I needed another inspirational historical figure… That’s when it hit me! 

Martin Luther King Jr.  

Martin Luther King jr I have a Dream
The passions of Martin Luther King Jr.
Image by skeeze from Pixabay

Martin’s speech “I Have A Dream” was one I wished I had written. Full of heart. Full of power. Full of passion. Full of naked truths. And so I wondered, what would Martin say about today’s state of affairs? And what about the internet? 

So I opened my Scrivener and started writing.

Sitting on the floor, late at night, in my daughter’s bedroom, the words just flowed. I could hear Martin’s resounding and vibrant voice in my head delivering the following speech: 

 

I have a dream 

… that all of our children, mine and yours, will not be judged by their perfect looks or the number of their followers, hearts or likes, but, as I dreamt it 57 years ago, “by the content of their character”.   

In 1963, I, Martin Luther King Jr., had a dream. 

And today, my beloved brothers and sisters, I have yet another dream.

I have a dream that the so called internet, that invisible intricate web, connecting millions and billions of people together, be used for the advancement of mankind, for the good of all peoples, not for evil. I have a dream … 

… that we stop using this web to weave hatred and victimhood, but to show forgiveness and unconditional love instead. I have a dream …   

… that our conversations become more meaningful, diving into the depth of the human soul, even if these get longer than a 280 character tweet or a 60 second video. I have a dream … 

… that we start looking up towards the Heavens and in each others’ eyes, instead of constantly down on our screens. I have a dream …   

… that we take a hard look into the naked realities of our broken bleeding world, instead of losing ourselves into the so called “virtual realities” of this web… No matter how colourful, captivating or painfree these may seem, don’t you be fooled! You may think these only distract us for a time from our pains, but I tell you they numb our soul to the suffering that’s all around us and that’s ever so real. Not only that, they also numb our soul to the many beauties of our world and which we may only discover through pain. I have a dream …    

… that we reconnect ourselves with Mother Earth and its many gifts of nature, its peaceful quiet, away from the incessant sensational news streams, feeds and greed. I have a dream …  

… that all of our children, mine and yours, will not be judged by their perfect looks or the number of their followers, hearts or likes, but, as I dreamt it 57 years ago, “by the content of their character”. I have a dream …  

… to weave amongst ourselves a second web, much mightier, deeper and wiser between the brothers and sisters of this planet… namely the web of the Holy Spirit that resides in each one of us.  

I have a dream, just like I did back in 1963. And I invite you today, to lock arms with me and make it our new reality. 

Martin Luther King Jr drawing speaking to crowd
Martin Luther King Jr.: I have a dream!
Image by Jae Rue from Pixabay


I learned so much on this incredible blogging class, which I can wholeheartedly recommend. But most importantly, I’ll be forever eternally grateful to our amazing tutor, Louise “Daisy” Johnson who picked the most provoking writing prompts, helped me get out of my writing rut, and inspired the creation of this blog. Thank you Daisy!

Recommended resources: