Probably no other season in the year holds so many contrasts than what has come to be popularly celebrated as Pre-Christmas. Rather, the term Pre-Christmas is somewhat of a misnomer and highlights on nothing more than crass commercialization of a religious theme. ‘Advent’ would be the correct terminology if it can be said so. Even the nature of celebrating ‘Pre-Christmas’ and ‘Advent’ is of stark contrast. Pre-Christmas events are increasingly being witnessed with heavy doses of popular culture and pomp so much so that several paradoxes can be observed, such as the spiritual facet of the season with a torrent of consumption; a period of tranquility and self-reflection with hurry and alacrity; joyful expectation and hope with stress and depression. Is this the right way to prepare for the birthday of the Lord and savior Jesus Christ? Even political parties in Nagaland have got into the Pre-Christmas bandwagon. This year in particular (whether it is because of ‘the coming of the dawn of another election’); the level of such celebration has been scaled to epic proportions with preposterous media campaigns to show for it. This is hardly the stuff of Advent Christmas season i.e. to prayerfully await the arrival of the messiah Jesus Christ.
Another worrying aspect of the Pre-Christmas culture is the huge amount of wastage incurred in terms of money, time and other resources during such celebrations. Even the very idea of the ‘State’ indulging in such outlandish religious rendezvous needs to questioned from the point of view of constitutional propriety of a ‘Secular State’. The State should be well aware that it can neither give official recognition to any religion nor confer special patronage upon any particular religion. The government of the day should not be seen as indulging in patronage of any kind in order to safeguard its position as a secular institution. To observe such religious function is not the job of a secular government. This should be done by the Church or some religious organisation. State and religion as well as politics and religion must be kept apart.
Not withstanding the glitz and commotion increasingly associated with such a thing as Pre-Christmas celebrations, it is an opportunity for Nagas to actually prepare themselves spiritually for the birth of Jesus Christ. More than public clamoring, Advent should be a time of tranquility, in which God’s message can be better heard. There are no two opinions that Christmas has today become a ritual for many people. The true Christian understanding of Advent —i.e. with renewed anticipation, of joy, of peace, goodwill among men, has very little in common with the way some people have actually come to celebrate such a thing as ‘Pre-Christmas’, which is nothing but a hoodwink of materialism and power struggle at its deceiving best. If at all Naga Christians want to talk about the Prince of Peace then peace should pervade our living and peace toward others should be a hallmark of one’s character. To put it bluntly, if we’re going to be the people of the Prince of Peace, we have to stop glorifying wealth and status or factional violence and killings. And more importantly for a society divided, if we want to speak of Jesus coming to forgive us our sins, we have to learn to forgive others.
