THE radio has been heralding the birth of Jesus Christ, as we are once again on the eve of yet another Christmas.
Christmas comes to us through another cycle of the calendar, around the corner from New Year and Chinese New Year. Time marches on in an eternal cycle of death and rebirth.
Christmas always stirs up joy in my heart, even though I am not a Christian. Somehow, it is impossible to escape from the universal spirit of love and joy that fills the season at this time of year.
Once again, we are steeped in an aura of hope and rejoicing, which our Christian brothers and sisters are only too glad to share with the world in this otherwise depressing time of universal economic depression and political uncertainty in many nations.
The greatest gift of Christianity to the world is the hope of salvation for the entire human race, planted in the depths of the soul, when Jesus was born over 2,000 years ago. The birth of Jesus Christ heralded the beginning of a new age that promises forgiveness for our sins and the start of a new era in human civilisation.
The celebration of Christmas in Sarawak is unique, in that the majority of the population in the Land of the Hornbills are Christians, numbering about 43 per cent according to the 2000 census. This signifies that the majority of people in Sarawak are Christians, as Muslims only make up about 26 per cent of the population.
Majority or not, Sarawak enjoys possibly the most harmonious relations between the various ethnic and religious groups. The major festivals like Christmas are celebrated by all religious groups alike.
I still remember that the Malays in Serian would share in the celebratory mood of the Christians among the Iban, Bidayuh etc. Families and neighbours would visit one another during Christmas across the ethnic divide and share their food and drinks together in a common joyous celebration.
Such good neighbourly relationships can only be found in Sarawak, in sharp contrast to the occasional communal tension that plagues West Malaysia from time to time.
The ills of modern day living have infected Malaysians to the extent that Christmas is sometimes regarded as just another public holiday, to be dedicated to feasting and merrymaking. Many people have forgotten the religious origins of the Christmas holiday. Christmas is a time for religious self-renewal and is meant to be a reaffirmation of the religious faith that Christians have.
Christians must attend the Christmas Mass first thing in the day and praise Jesus Christ for the rare gift of salvation. It has nothing to do with eating and visiting but should be devoted to prayers and Christmas dinner round the family table in a happy atmosphere of reunion.
Down through the centuries, people have also developed the habit of giving presents for the Christmas season.
The Christmas orgy of gift buying gives hope for many businesses to make a killing in the market place. But the buying and giving of gifts also provides great joy, especially for children, so on the whole this Christmas tradition has done a great deal towards cultivating a festive mood.
In my personal life, Christmas is of special significance.
My mother died on Christmas Eve in 1991 and on her death bed she was baptised as a Roman Catholic. Henceforth, I am reminded of a mother’s love for her children every Christmas day. This year is no exception. May the Lord be always with you, my dearest mother.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all readers throughout Malaysia.
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