The Christmas experience is associated with decoration, festivity and symbols.
I noticed yesterday some church premises in my village and in the adjacent town, decorated with coloured lights, stars, and balloons. Some stars were so large that they stood out to be noticed!
Yesterday, I saw pictures of hundreds of children walking in the streets of a town in red attire, dressed like a Christmas father. The shops in the village and in the town, have cleverly used the festivity of the occasion to promote sale by announcing discounts on the sale of products.
I happened to notice a small manger in the veranda of a home with straw covering it without any accompaniments. I thought that it symbolised one dimension of the message of Christmas- the incarnation in a humble place !
I realise from the media, Christmas for many have different meanings. The decoration and festivity express that meaning they carry in their consciousness about Christmas.
The manger in the veranda of the house symbolised a meaning associated with Christmas, which transcended decoration and festivity!
The commercial and consumeristic perspective sometimes subsume the symbolism of incarnation, Emmanuel, God with us.
During our walk in the village yesterday, most houses were decorated with stars and lights. The person of Jesus who came to bring peace, hope and goodwill sometimes gets crowded out in the midst of decorations and festivity!
A neighbour mentioned to me yesterday, that Christmas is the time to bring Jesus into our life and home!
That symbolism touched me !
To order our life in such a way that our home and being can reflect Jesus of Nazareth is the true symbolism of Christmas!
A flower is a symbol of the plant!
Is my life a symbol of God abiding with us! I stay with that question!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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