Christmas in our Hearts

“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” – Acts 20:35

It was the first day of September when I heard the first Christmas song being played on the radio from a local station. It was a very popular Christmas song sung by Jose Mari Chan and his daughter, Liza Chan. The lyrics of the song says:

“Whenever I see girls and boys selling lanterns on the street, I remember the child in a manger as He sleeps. Whenever there are people giving gifts exchanging cards, I believe that Christmas is truly in their hearts. Let’s light out Christmas trees for a bright tomorrow, where nations are at peace and all are one in God.”

I think this song is very epic in the Philippines not only because this was released in the 1990s and being played every year during Christmas but more so because, I feel like this is the Christmas national anthem of every boy and girl who lives in the Philippines. I could not think of anyone from people I know who is not familiar with this song. It is very meaningful and magical just like the magic that Christmas season brings. The song reminds us of the true essence of Christmas which is giving without counting the cost. They say that when you give, it is not giving until you feel that a part of you has been taken away. Sometimes we give because we know that it is the right thing to do as a follower of Jesus but more than just being the correct thing to do, giving must come from the heart. It must be a sacrifice of one’s self and it means sharing a part of your heart to people you may not know but you desire happiness for them and you would like that they be blessed this Christmas season through a selfless act of love and generosity from your end. For me, that is the true essence of giving especially this Christmas season.

As we all know, the Covid-19 pandemic caused so much pain and suffering. A lot of people lost the lives of their loved ones and many were left jobless. Being jobless translates to little or no food at the tables of many Filipino families. Now, how can a family celebrate Christmas when there is hunger and pain? How can you be happy when you realize that a majority are lonely, sad, devastated and hungry outside of the four corners of your house? Christmas is supposed to be the happiest season of all. A season we all look forward to where houses are decorated with Christmas parols and tables are filled with a variety of food. The sumptuous food is then shared by family members through a Noche Buena feast as a sign of family unity, happiness and love for the birthday of Jesus. But these Filipino traditions like putting up Christmas decorations and Noche Buena feast are now hard to follow because of financial constraints the pandemic has brought to a lot of Filipino families. Indeed, this is when we should bring out the true essence of Christmas in our hearts. It is the essence of giving just like the giving God has done for us when his son was born into the world that we may be saved from the wrath of our sin. It is the essence of loving without having to ask love in return. The acts of giving and loving are the true essences of Christmas and it is now that these values are most needed. Generosity and love from our hearts would make Christmas better felt especially for those who were hit with the adverse effects of the pandemic the most. Sharing even the little that we have could go a long way to feed a thousand more who are hungry if each one of us will do our part in making this place a better world not only for us but for all of God’s children. If we could only lend a hand with love, then no one is left behind hungry and cold.

The song Christmas in Our Hearts is truly reflective of how Christmas should be. It should be about giving more. It should be about prayer, unity and love. That kind of love Jesus himself taught us when He was born and when He died so that we may be saved. Christmas must be a daily habit of wanting to share what we have with everyone especially those that have less in life.

The true essence of Christmas is beyond all the colorful decorations and all lavish food and material luxuries. For amidst all of these material accumulations lie the importance and message of God to us when His son was born in a manger. It reminds us of the simplicity we should all practice in our lives and the value of generosity that we need to imbibe especially during the pandemic. These are just my reflections of the true essence of Christmas. It may not be in accord with what others believe but at least I hope that it brings a message of sharing what we have with others especially during the pandemic. After all Christmas is the birthday of JESUS and the best gift, we could bring Him is the gift of a heart wrapped in love and generosity for each other. (Gwendeline Panes Rodulfa)