DAY 5: A CASE FOR CHRISTMAS JOY

Mr. chairman, panel of judges, accurate time keeper, I stand here to make a case for Christmas joy. My aim is to make it a distinct feature separate from whatever man-made Christmas traditions we have built.

Christmas joy here is basically the joy we feel during Christmas season.

I hear many of my peers lament how Christmas is not the same festival they were used to when growing up. “Christmas used to be fun when we were younger”, they say. Our parents did their best to make sure that Christmas was memorable. Food, new clothes, sight-seeing, travelling etc.

Now, the situation is different.

This has been largely attributed to the woes and worries of adulthood, increasing responsibilities on the growing Gen-Z and a general rise in the cost of living. In other words, we are now the ones responsible for making Christmas memorable either for ourselves or for others.

I make my point recognizing that these are true facts and a contributor to the apparent reduction in Christmas joy but I do believe that they are only valid to people who do not yet understand the full scope of the festival.

The essence of Christmas is in the fact that God in His mercy stepped down into our human mess, taught us his holy way and degraded himself to a disgraceful death so that we may be counted as His own.

Christmas is a festival commemorating the birth of the man we Christians call our Lord and Saviour. Without a doubt the greatest man to ever grace this planet. A man who walked on earth for just 33 years and did more than any human being dead or alive.

God in the flesh.

This simple fact is a good enough reason to be joyful.

To go by the book, the true spirit of Christmas should mimic Christ’s humble descent into the world.

A little infant lying in a manger surrounded by sheep, a direct opposite to the lavish celebrations we see now.

The true spirit of Christmas is not extravagant or vain, it is sobering and humble. It must cause us to bow and deeply meditate. Our hearts, reminiscing that starry night in the little town of Bethlehem.

If we are ever loud about Christmas, it is because the story is too sweet to keep quiet about.

We are joyful not because of the pomp and pageantry but because of the ultimate gift we received over 2000 years ago.

Christmas is a festival for the rich and the poor, the young and the old, the one ending the year with a bang and the one wishing this year had never happened.

So if you're feeling down at this time of the year, Christmas is for you too.

If you're going through difficulty, remember that Joseph and Mary had to make do with a stable for the birth of the King of kings.

If you're in your season of hiding, remember that a monumental groundbreaking thing was going on in Bethlehem that day but very few people on earth were aware.

It is proof that God had you in mind when He came to earth. He had your redemption and salvation in mind. You can look back at the incarnation story and take lessons. He came to save not some but all.

For all who believe in Christ Jesus, Christmas joy is required regardless of circumstances.

Mr. Chairman, panel of judges, distinguished reader, I hope I have been able to exhort you with these words of mine that it is not too late to be joyful about Christmas.

Merry Christmas, everyone🎄.