I came across a beautifully animated film that conveys the message of what Christmas would be like without love.
It is a classroom for bees. Nice fat, short-winged bees are sitting in class. Their teacher talks about the birds and the characteristics of the wings on which they fly. The teacher says that this particular species of bee, which has very small wings and a large body, cannot fly.
But a small bee in it wanted to fly. They are looking for different ways to do it but they are not able to succeed in any of them. Eventually, the bee is tied to a rope and runs away, but falls into a pit and breaks the bee’s spectacle.
Later, with great difficulty, they both enter the Christmas preparations. They are looking at the beautiful decorations and the lawn. They also look anxiously at the ‘bee angel’ hanging in the air above the grass. So the friend bees lovingly present a new, beautiful one to replace the broken spectacles as a Christmas present. Surprisingly he buys it and hugs his friend and gives her a loving kiss.
Miracles happen there when the reserves of love are shared with each other. Suddenly the small wings on both their bodies began to flutter. So the two could fly. When they shared their love by overcoming their inner frustrations and worries, they lost weight and were able to fly.
This is also the good thought that Christmas gives. We too can fly high with others when we pour out the goodness and love invested within us to others. “Love one another as I have loved you. If you love one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” This is the advice given to the world by the great teacher Jesus, who taught the world what humility and love are by washing and kissing the other’s feet. The Son of God who called the world only to love one another.
Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ, who showed the world that boundless love without limitations or weaknesses is the sacrifice of the cross. It is the only birthday that is celebrated happily all over the world. Birth is a celebration that has always been a source of joy and deepening faith for Christians. Nativity can be understood as a holy birth and an immaculate birth. It is important to look at the new meanings of the peace and joy that Christmas brings, rather than just the remembrance of the birth of the King of Peace in the meadow. What Christmas gives each of us has completely different meanings and experiences.
Christmas for a baby is the light of colorful bulbs. Christmas is an outpouring of joy that comes to a child’s mind when he sees light flashing in many colors. But for a little more savvy baby, the crib, the stars, the brightly lit Christmas tree, and the sweetness of the cakes are the spring of sight and hearing. Children who get up early in the morning in December and go to church, covering themselves with snow and blankets the cold. For those like them, Christmas is a carol carrying the message of holy birth by singing a beautiful hymn. It is a reminder of the tears and suffering of our aging parents. Their Christmas is a lifelong proclamation of the great assurance that Jesus will be with them every moment they lose hope in life.
Beyond all this, Christmas gives us great messages. Between richness and luxury, there are a few places where we need to extend our sights during the festive season. Excessive light can sometimes blind our eyes. That’s why we are surrounded by some Christmas sights and experiences that we are missing out on. It is when we see them that our inner Christmas is complete. We need to keep in mind the orphans and the poor who are celebrating Christmas around us, without the cribs and the lights, without the sweetness of the feast and the cake. We should at least spend some time thinking about them. We must always know the Christmas of those who live a small life of their own in the tendency to reach out in front of others on the street for a moment. We who lie in the warmth of wool should also know the Christmas celebration of the poor who sew rags and make shirts to get rid of the cold.
We firmly believe that the golden star of simplicity has taken birth on earth in the stable, and we know very well that the possibility of the King of heavenly peace entering the celebrations and pageants of palaces is very small. Therefore, Jesus, the Son of God, was born in the midst of the purity of heart, goodness and simplicity of the people who live in the face of neglect, deprivation, hunger, tears, sweat and pain. No other kind of celebration can replace the joy of a smile that comes from the purity and fullness of their mind when they wholeheartedly accept the hand and help of another. Do not forget that the mind becomes a desert as one seeks worldly pleasures from the flower of love and faith.
If we can not feed a thousand people, if we do not cover with blankets a lot of people, if we do not give charity all over the country, we can smile at those around us, give hope to the despondent, comfort the neglected, show God to the unbelievers. The Lord will come to mind and give us spiritual enlightenment, the great feast of self-fulfillment and the bouquet of blessings. If we can live as those who shine like the melting candle for others by sacrificing themselves in the way of simplicity, clinging to faith when visions are dimmed and troubles and misery overwhelm the mind, undoubtedly we can say that Jesus is born in our hearts. Although the clouds of unrest affect life, if we have the faith of the Canaanite, the hope of the bedridden in Bethsaida, and the gratitude of one of the ten lepers who returned to see Jesus, we can shine in our own lives and in the crises of others.
We must live through the One who saved us. We should follow his example. We must look at the life of the Nazarene, who taught us, selfless love, through the eyes of faith and sacrifice. The mountains of sacrifice bloom as we prepare our seats for others on the lawn of love; The beauty of goodness is born. Through it, the whole world has proclaimed the proclamation of the great life and salvation of Christ.
We need a mind that must be given up if the good news of peace is to reach us. Life can be full of hatred, bitterness and hatred. Tear them all together and sew together with kindness, peace and joy. When we do not succumb to sorrow, but firmly believe in the living God. We are burning with the coals of the great responsibility that Christ has instilled in us and being reborn as newcomers of joy and hope. Through this, we are able to show others the humble life of Jesus.
If the message of the Nativity is not to be obscured, one must understand that ours too is a Nativity. It is our responsibility to live without losing its warmth and shade. Believe that each and every one of us has a duty to wrap ourselves in the sphere of innocence and love without rushing into the fiery furnace of the world. Through it, the earth will become a paradise and those who have received God’s grace will have peace and hope as in the beginning, always and forever. Therefore, may the Nativity inspire us to live this life without blemish, no matter how small our calling to be children of God. When we accept what is holy, our thoughts and actions become pure. When we exchange the elements of Christ in you and me in goodness, love, brotherhood, compassion and values, Jesus is born again in the form of me and you.
Let us be the bearers of the peace and tranquility that Christmas brings, keeping others close to our hearts. We can sing along with the angels who announced the birth of Jesus to the world, “Praise be to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”
Merry Christmas…!