By Enuma Chigbo
“Many of you are excited about Christmas but I have not gotten past Thanksgiving yet.” Those were pastor’s words in church last Sunday. You know, two places where I get the inspiration to write are church, and believe it or not, the gym. So at Zumba earlier today, in between the vibrant sounds of the Latino, Hip Hop and music from the Motherland, I would remember Pastor’s words.
By His grace, I am ready for Christmas. Last week’s sermon touched more on Thanksgiving attitude using a particular psalm as a backdrop. Like I said earlier, I am ready for Christmas by His grace. I do realize that Thanksgiving should be more of a daily affair as against seasonal, so let’s say that as at today, I am somewhere in between Thanksgiving and Christmas and for this reason, I write the vision down and make it plain on tablets that he may run who reads.
I recall being part of a group that saw the transition of street children to a home they could call theirs. This was in Calabar, Southern Nigeria on October 9 2009. After that transition, I would go occasionally to minister to them in their new home. For reasons best known to the Almighty, I could not minister beyond His birth. Each time I spoke to them, it was all about His birth. More than a decade later, in a land which is now home to me, I find the issue of His birth resonating even deeper within.
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.” (Luke 2:1) This is the King James Version and I find the phrase “all the world,” very interesting. What world is being referred to here? Would this be the Roman Empire? Clearly, there was an agenda that could have affected the entire world as we know it, but then He came and for this I am truly thankful.
I don’t know about you, but for me that count or census as it were raised a red flag in my mind, perhaps similar to the census King David, under the influence of the devil, tried to conduct thousands of years before then. Anyhow, as a result of this count, the parents of our Lord and Savior, Mary and Joseph went to their homeland to be counted and therein emerged the birth pangs of intense accommodation problems. At the end of the day, Jesus Christ came in a very smelly manger. I am grateful He came even as I see the sacrifices made in his birth as well as His death. Indeed from the radiant throne of heaven’s gates to earth’s smelly manger …if that’s not deep sacrifice then I wonder what is.
I go back in my mind to the situation of the street children, which was quite dismal to say the least. The acuteness of their situation clearly called for swift intervention. “I very much appreciate that fact that you’ve been in terrible conditions, but how many of you had to share your space with animals and put up with the constant smell of their insides?” I asked them. None of the responses I got was in the affirmative. So by His birth, even street children learned to be grateful, especially having witnessed swift intervention.
Going back to the scripture in Luke 2, in my mind, there was swift intervention by virtue of His birth, from contrary forces who wanted rule the world. Details of this may or may not unfold, but the fact remains is that He came. Going by the situation of the street children thousands of years later, I see that this unique intervention is as potent in these present times as it was back then. Indeed His birth addresses all situations.
Yes, by his grace, I am ready for Christmas, but bearing the huge sacrifices made by the One who came, I cannot leave Thanksgiving.
Today, America is agog with celebrations, which I love. I always say that this is the best season of the year. However, somewhere in my mind, I wonder where the focus is. Have we got caught up in celebrations, missing the reason for the season? This is one question we need to realistically ask ourselves as we approach this beautiful time.
Merry Christmas my peeps!
… Chigbo, a journalist/author wrote in from America