Dr Asangba Tzudir
In a world riddled in confusion and crisis, the meaninglessness of life is often exhibited by the associated acts of human beings generally defined in one’s own terms and convenience. Somewhere, a banner written ‘MUDU BHAL BIKA STALL M.B.B.S’; and the appearance of quite an unusual star draped in a particular national political party symbol aptly elucidates the symptom of the human condition today and which adds to the crisis of morality.
The roles of humans have changed from being a ‘reader-follower’ to becoming the ‘writer-author’ and thereby creating one’s own moral template. The multifaceted versions of morality while creating various forms of moral conflicts and therefore the moral crisis clearly portrays the dangers of the shift from being ‘reader-follower’ to ‘writer-author’. The becoming of the ‘writer-author’ is marked by the questioning the authority as the source of morality, and even those who hold on to it firmly.
Among the many instances, in context of this piece, one is called to reflect on the ‘Christmas’ being contested by Xmas. That, Christmas has become Xmas, a defining marker of the shift, and where in the name of Xmas many ‘X’ things gets added to Xmas, because, unlike Christ, the ‘X’ in Xmas being an unknown entity can be anything according to ones convenience of how ‘right’ and ‘good’ is subjectively defined.
These are times which call for a reflection on the true meaning of Christmas and why we celebrate Christmas. The key to Christmas is to remember what it is supposed to celebrate: the birth of Jesus Christ. If it weren’t for Christ and the unconditional love, there would be no Christmas. The key is not to let one get distracted by the many X’s where this Xmas has gotten busier than the real Christmas and where Christ gets crowded out by all the activities and the stress on material things.
The true essence of Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ and which deeply manifests the unconditional love of God. It is not about any unknown entity represented by ‘X’ but the love of God that should manifest in our every act. Let us share ‘Love’ in our own possible ways to make this Christmas meaningful.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir writes a weekly guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
