Mon, 25 Dec 2017 11:17:23 +0000
CHRISTMAS has for many years been erroneously celebrated in stark defiance of the sanctity with which it should be associated for the glory of the son of man.
From a purely Christian standpoint, Christmas is the annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah who was born to reconcile man to the Almighty God and indeed he sacrificed his life for humankind.
Therefore, we encourage Zambians and other citizens to embrace the Word of God and meditate on the true meaning as well as essence of this important landmark event.
Firstly, it will be prudent to consult the Bible and painstakingly study the scripture in both the Old and New Testament in order to interpret the meaning of Christmas in the right context.
In the Old Testament, the book of Isaiah 7:14 says: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.”
It is worth noting that Isaiah was a prophet through whom God spoke and the prophecies came to pass. The prophecy on the birth of Jesus Christ came to pass.
Thus the New Testament Book of Luke 1:26-38 says: “…God sent angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said ‘Greetings, you who are highly favoured. The Lord is with you. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.’
In celebrating Christmas, we should henceforth realise that Jesus was sent by God to demonstrate humility, selflessness, honesty, chastity, respect and many other values which we must espouse.
It is also true that Jesus’ mandate included dying for our sins so that we are reconciled to The Lord God Almighty.
With the afore explanation, it is required that we celebrate the life of the living Christ within the context of the Biblical doctrines and not to stray into wild merry-making characterised by alcohol abuse.
It is sad and ironical that on the day which should be treated with sanctity some people elect to contaminate the celebrations with gross and naked misconduct such as excessive alcohol consumption and many other uncouth activities.
Year in year out, the police have had a torrid time maintaining law and order as the celebrations in numerous instances spin out of control. The aftermath of Christmas has been murky.
Ugly scenes abound!
The youth and other age groups have gone on rampage committing transgressions ranging from lighter traffic slip ups to fatal accidents that usually claim many innocent lives.
There is an imperative need for citizens to seek the face of God on this particular day and only engage in undertakings that please the throne of the Almighty such as demonstrating true love through caring for the needy.
Secondly, during such a period well-meaning citizens should intensify evangelism, discipleship and in particular interpret the meaning of Christmas. It is also a time for people to rededicate themselves to the Creator.
Additionally, Christmas is an opportunity for all Christians to consolidate the body of Christ – in this case the Church. People should develop a forgiving heart and reconcile.
In the early Church disagreements did occur but they were not as distinctive as the obtaining situation currently, which has resulted in splits and proliferation of Churches not only in Zambia but in many other countries.
Some of the Churches have departed from the Bible doctrines and adopted odd concepts that have invariable confused the followers. The festive period should thus be used to bring back to the fold all ‘lost souls’ and reintegrate them in the body of Christ.
Law enforcement agencies must stoke up their efforts during the festive period in curbing crime and bringing to book transgressors while the Road Traffic and Safety Agency should be on hand to patrol the roads.
Christmas must remain holy!
