Missing Christmas
by Rob
Siem Reap, Cambodia
We have just spent the last month leading up to Christmas travelling through lands that will all “miss” it. In Laos in particular, there were no Christmas trees in the malls, no piped carols in the supermarkets, no fairy lights on the guest houses… not that we found any malls or supermarkets there! The point is, there was virtually no sign of Christmas looming…December the 25th is just another day (OK, not quite – Lao New Year falls on the 25th this year!) In the middle of a Buddhist nation, this absence of any recognition of Christmas has been striking. However…when I consider the *real* meaning of Christmas, I realise most of the people shopping back home in the carol-filled, tinsel-lined shops will also miss Christmas.
For our family, Christmas is a special time. The account of the birth of our Lord and Saviour is not just some quaint folk-story; it is central to our faith. We spend December reading the prophecies and accounts of this event from various authors in the Bible. We discuss what it means, what the implications are for us as individuals, as a family, as a community. We sing carols together that retell the story, history’s central story.
In our opinion, the birth of Jesus, along with his subsequent death and resurrection is THE ONE event that shapes our days, our year, our lives! He is the source of our identity, our purpose, our vision, our love, our being.
And so, while we miss being with family and friends and miss roast lamb, brandy snaps and fruit mince pies, we have not missed the frantic busy-ness associated with the season, and most importantly, we have not missed Christmas. We pray you don’t either.
Have a blessed and joy-filled Christmas!
Tags: God, postcard: Cambodia, tradition
rayres
Merry Christmas to you all
http://www.quickegreets.com/religion/reli80.htm
blessings always
Jen
Thanks for your message today Rob! it is extremely timely as we feast on pork, lamb and beef and fill ourselves with huge amounts of sugary calories. We in this western part of the world could all do with a diet of sticky rice for a few weeks to help shed the excess kilos we’ll accumulate. However I am pleased to say that the true meaning of Christmas has not been missing and this year, the first for many, there has been public exhibitions not only for the eyes, but also for the ears, in many places including shopping malls, churches and homes around Sydney. Perhaps the economic downturn of recent times has made people think a little more about the Reason for the Season. Blessings for the season to you all!
I love this post Rob. I love the idea of Christmas stripped of it’s devotion to commodities and consumption.