Remembering Christmas

How many Christmases have you celebrated? Do you remember the first few in your living memory? My childhood memories were those when my parents brought me down town. Where was down town? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUSYb3igXzI.

In the old days, there was only one Metro at High Street and one Robinsons at Raffles Place and they were the best there were for shopping centres. Dad and mum would bring us walking through "Change Alley" before we got to Robinsons and they always have someone dressed up as Santa and he would walked around. You could pay a dollar and dip your hand into a basket and pick up a "Lucky Dip" not knowing what  you are going to get.

In primary school, we learnt how to make Christmas cards. We would draw a Christmas tree with presents around it (commercial) or a snowman (cultural), etc., sprinkle some shiny stuffs over glue and bingo! But there were other types which were harder to make. Those where you have pictures of the infant Jesus in a manger or the three wise man each on a camel following a star. I grew to like that as there was some mystic to it and a story to tell. Later, there were Hollywood movies of Charlton Heston as Moses in The Ten Commandments and other exciting stories from the Bible at the Cinemas.

When I was a youth it meant little to me except that it was a public holiday. As a young working adult, Christmas coincided with the light up at Orchard Road and shopping centres, a time of the year the company gave us bonuses and there was some kind of festive spirit that lingered for awhile. Soon, the festive spirit became restive spirit when the pockets dried up. Still, there was something special in the air. So, deck the halls. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH8FvERQHtM

I decorated my living room. We need to rock even during Christmas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nFJmd5MX4k (Jingle Bell Rock)

I did the kitchen too.

I made my toilet sparkle with silver bells. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQLGdyV7Z9w

Some times in life, we have to be careful what we wish for. If you wish wrongly you may become a reindeer and may find yourself transported to a very cold country and perhaps get poached instead of a small car growing up into a Jag. The colder weather would also mean that some of us would be rubbing our noses till they turned red.

Very often, in this commercial world, we forgot the true meaning of Christmas. We are just full of partying everywhere in a world where many accept and promote superficiality because they say that is the world as it is. Tell me after counting how many sincere people that you know.  

For many folks, life is just a facade. Others are deceitful. They deceive so much for so long that they believe in their own lies. Inside, it is  hollow. We fool ourselves that we are important. I hope many people will find truthfulness soon because the truth will always surface. So why bother with the masquerade?

It is just like when you are warm you forget that there are some people in the cold. You tend to think that people are just having fun when it snows. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5daQbThsDU

Remember me telling you about the three wise men on camels? (Matthew 2:1-12) They were referred as "Magi" from the east (some kind of magician, astrologer or wise person who gave divination to kings) - "we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him". Many of us are blur like "sotong" and can only see stars and not see "The Star". The least one can do is to identify three wise man you can find in your life so that at least they can lead you to that star. Actually in the Bible there was no mention of "three (3)" wise man but there were three different gifts. Singapore schools may use it for the exams "if the wise men came and there were three gifts, where did the wise men come from and how many were there?" They possibly came from Persia, Oman, Yemen, Somalia and India. That's where frankincense and myrrh come from.

When King Herod heard about this, he was disturbed. Politics was at play. Even the most powerful persons in this world have their fears and insecurities. They are often afraid of being overthrown and trouble will start due to the condition of the human heart such that they will seek to hurt and destroy others so that they can continue in their ways and cling to their power.

King Herod told the Magi to search for the child and report to him so that "I too may go and worship him". The three wise men followed the star and were overjoyed when they came to a place. They saw the child with his mother, they bowed and worshipped him. They opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Later, in a dream they were warned not to go back to Herod so they went back to their own country by another route. You see King Herod wanted to annihilate a future threat.

This is the story of the three wise men on camels following a star and the infant Jesus in the manger that we see on Christmas cards.

Christmas is about sharing and love. About being a Good Samaritan. (In Luke 10: 25-27), On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher", he asked "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the law? he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" and "Love your neighbour as yourself ". 

Loving your neighbour as yourself is simple to write or talk about but how many people can do it. It is not just your neighbour. It should actually mean other people as in "love other people as yourself". It means your spouse. Some people can't even do this. It means your relatives, friends, colleagues, strangers, neighbours too. When you inconvenience or manipulate others, you broke that rule about loving others as yourself as no one manipulate themselves but since no one is watching, you went ahead to manipulate others for your own benefit and then justify it. To inherit eternal life, you have to love God with heart, mind and soul and then just love others. That simple.

(Continued Luke 10: 29-37):

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They tripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Have mercy and go and do likewise! Even a priest can do wrong and Jesus was not bias towards the priest nor the rich. He taught about the Good Samaritan who save the stranger, paid for him and ensured his well-being. There was no religion involved. How do you see the people in this world today? Do you pass by on the other side when you meet people who needed help?

(This is a real maintenance-free Christmas tree planted in my home).

To give, we shall not wait till Christmas and they need not come in packages. Your gift of your time to anyone is as good if not even better.

Recently, I had two opportunity to do something. I met this man in a wheel chair going down a ramp way coming out the gate but another man nearby and the security guard helped him to go down. He was going to the traffic light to cross the road. I asked him if I could help him and he said there was no need as he could manage but I insisted and told him I was crossing anyway and I can bring him to wherever he was going. He relented and as I pushed him, he started talking to me about where he lived and how long he has lived here when I realised he was the man who must have suffered a stroke and each morning his domestic helper would help him to walk around the estate. He must have parted company and no longer have the helper. He asked about my work and family, etc. and when I got him to the bus stop, he thanked me and said he could really managed on his own and gave a big smile. His name is Patrick.

Next, I was going up a steep stairway and there was this old lady perhaps in her late 70s getting down. She was holding an umbrella, a small plastic bag and a trolley bag. I went to her slowly so as not to surprised her and asked her permission to help her carry her stuffs. She was happy to let me do it. I was expecting something heavy in the trolley bag but it was not so when I lifted it up, it almost flew up. It seemed her problem was not any weight and I realised it could be her bad eye sight or she has difficulty on negotiating down  the stairs, something that many of us take for granted. She was extremely grateful and appreciative as I led her to the bus stop. 

There was nothing at work or at play, no achievements that I have made this year that matched these two occasions where I gave simple aid to these two persons whom I may never meet again. It gave me great satisfaction the way they responded and when I looked into their eyes. We are all the same brothers and sisters on a journey. We only pass this way but once. Anything good that you can do , do it now for we may never pass this way again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcJYW1oN6fw (Casting Crowns - O Come All Ye Faithful)

Increasingly, we are seeing a perilous world where people are great lovers of themselves only, they are proud and arrogant, they covet, they freely accuse others wrongly and falsely, they are disobedient, rebellious and ungrateful. They can do the same things but criticise others doing it. Humans blind themselves. But there is hope, watch:

http://roastroom.com/here-is-the-russian-video-that-made-the-whole-world-cry-video/

"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" Matthew 6: 21.

There were two occasions that left me befuddled. I was carrying two heavy bags of groceries, struggled to open a heavy metal gate and was holding the gate and along came a mother and her two teenage children, they rushed past me without lifting a finger to help nor did they thanked me. Then on another occasion, I was climbing down the steps carrying my bicycle while my wife was holding the metal gate, along came a man and his wife on their way for morning exercise and they rushed past me instead of giving way to me and then they walked past my wife without thanking her or helped hold the gate. I have always held the door or the lift for others including strangers but very few of them thanked me for it. Why can't we learn how to be gracious? Sigh.

We live in a world full of people hurting and lost. We just need to have simple peace. Be nice, everyone is fighting some kind of battles in life. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ-8jYpa1-o (O Holy Night - Chloe Agnew)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zh-yR0pbmU (O Holy Night - Josh Groban)

Not just a Holy night but a silent night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T4WB2zfmps (Silent Night)

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Luke 2:14

And joy to the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpgaWm2pnNs (Joy to the world)

Many of us have 10,000 reasons to be grateful. Just where you were born can make a huge difference. Everyday occurrences that are blissful are often taken for granted. Count your blessings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E (Matt Redman)

This Christmas, look out for and look up to wise men you can find in your life. If you can't find three, then just one will do. Be a good Samaritan and love others as you would yourself. Show mercy, lots of it. Ask for forgiveness when you wronged others and seek to forgive and a huge burden will be lifted from you. You may even be healed of diseases because when you do not forgive, you are drinking poison hoping for the other person to die. Finally, follow that star:

Follow That Star (Paul Baloche with Aaron Shust)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2V4fg1eNb0

Christmas is really about you and me. He came for you and me! Because humans have double standards and are bias, capable of evil and often destructive, judge not lest we be judged. His is the only Gold Standard. God standard. All others are man-made.

Yes, have yourselves a Merry little Christmas!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSKKamK8kpI

Be spiritual not religious. 

I wish you and your loved ones Merry Christmas! May God's peace, love and joy be upon you. May He light up your path, protect you from harm and prosper you in His way.