— Charles Ganaprakasam
The Malay Mail Online
December 21, 2014

DECEMBER 21 — On this stunning, life-giving harmonious day, I would like to convey my Christmas wishes to my fellow brothers and sisters who are rejoicing this holy day as a birth of Jesus on earth to redeem us from our sin which we committed by God given free will.

We should not celebrate Christmas without knowing the proper mode of celebrating it. Some celebrate this pure delightful day solely with their friends and family gathering with gleaming smiles and once it’s done, then Christmas is over and they are glad of it.

The most wonderful and meaningful way of celebrating Christmas is through serving the deprived people with pure heart and remembering them as one of our brothers and sisters. We should serve them notwithstanding by where they belong racially, culturally and religiously.

Whether the underprivileged person is in someone’s own neighbourhood or in a distant area, we must not neglect our duty to serve them. Man’s responsibility to help his fellow beings is the central essence of teaching by Jesus Christ.

The notion of serving others not only mentioned in Christianity by Jesus, but also in the teaching of Buddhism and Islam. In Islam it’s compulsory for every Muslim to pay a certain amount of money from their earning as “zakat” for the poor people. Additionally, the Hindu religion traditionally believes that act of serving the needy is for repentance for their sin in this or their previous lifetime to discharge them from cycle of death and rebirth.

One of the greatest commandment preached by Jesus was “thou shalt love thy neighbour”. Ever since the creation of God, we are collectively sharing similar identities as a human being, therefore we should educate ourselves by serving those deprived, those suffering from starvation or lack of emotional support.

Instead of celebrating Christmas materially by organising parties and inviting friends, it’s far greater to celebrate this Holy day through serving them. This is somewhat comparable to sowing the prime seeds of wisdom and spiritual courage in order to struggle to do in the will of God.

I certainly did not mean to say that materialistic celebration of Christmas is unlawful in God’s vision, but it will be infinite blessing from God if we look upon others as an extension of ourselves by serving the poor.

Pure unconditional love towards others is an essential precondition in order to serve others, regardless of any distinguish. It has paramount important to indicate here about the golden law of all the religion: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. We should do for others just as we are doing for ourselves.

This golden rule naturally motivates us toward pure altruism, and it will make us see the pure image of God in man. I verily emphasise all my brothers and sisters to celebrate this wonderful day by beginning to put into practise the philosophy of serving others from now and forever. It certainly will be a revolutionary to the concept of all humanity throughout the world in the nearest future.

It’s a promise that each one of us will discover everlasting joy through serving the deprived with pure hearts by breaking the walls of selfishness with selfless righteous behaviour. May this Christmas step us toward radical reform not only from inner self, but to the outer world as well to preserve crowning glory of humanity.

“When thou makes a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee.

But when thou makes a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” – (Luke 14:12-14)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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