Editorial
What Christmas is and isn’t
‘TIS the 61st Christmas for the Sunday Punch, and the 10th, 20th, 50th for most families and we hall have had different ways of celebrating it over the years.
Over the years, we noted with sadness how the spiritual aspect of Christmas has been slowly eroded by commercialism and materialism, exploiting Christian families’ need to celebrate. Even traditional Christmas songs are no longer played and sang exalting the birth of Jesus Christ as our Redeemer, but as mere come-ons enticing everyone to spend on gifts, new possessions.
To capsulize this thought, we are taking the liberty of reposting and paraphrasing here what has been making the rounds in social media.
“WHAT IS NOT CHRISTMAS! Christmas is not about December 25… not about Santa Claus… not about Christmas tree… not about Christmas sale in malls… not about new songs and new clothes… not about eating lechon, fruit salad, fried chicken, etc. It is not about giving or exchanging gifts.
“WHAT IS CHRISTMAS? Christmas is all about Christ! It is about how Christ emptied himself to save sinners like you and me… about how the Son of God became man… about how Jesus lived on the earth… about what Jesus accomplished on the cross …. about how a sinner can have reunion with the Holy God… about how, one day, believers will meet the Lord face to face… about Christ, the Son of God, who humbled himself by being obedient to die on the cross.
“Indeed, there simply is no Christmas without Christ.”
We pray that more families will find and rediscover Christ this time, and in years ahead. Merry Christmas to all!
Love
BECAUSE Christmas is love, then it must be observed to the fullest. President Duterte did just that when he suspended combat operations against the New People’s Army from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2, 2018. What could be a more fitting appreciation of the Yuletide spirit than by holding one’s fire. During Christmastime, peace, harmony and loving rent the air. For, indeed, there is no substitute for upholding everyone’s right to live. Thus, by declaring a ceasefire, Mr. Duterte has made sure there won’t be a loss of life or limb in this most joyous time of the year. As the song goes, “Give love on Christmas Day.” Better yet, “Give love not only on Christmas Day but the entire year…and beyond.” So, why not transform the ceasefire into a complete and total end of the war? The NPA has been at it the last 49 years, upon direction of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Already, lots of love have been lost senselessly. Shame.
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