Focus must be returned to the true reason for the season – Rev. Gilbert

Dec 25, 2012 News

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By Sharmain Grainger

The focus of Christmas over the decades has considerably shifted, so much so that some individuals no longer see the ‘Christ’ in Christmas, but rather ‘self’ has taken that very important place.

This observation has been made by Reverend Kwame Gilbert, Senior Pastor of World Vision New Testament Church of God located in Kitty, Georgetown.  He surmised that the self-serving nature and materialistic culture of human beings have increased overtime, a state of affairs which has allowed for the commercialisation of Christmas.
“The truth is this is not only happening now, but from way back, you have always had the tendency of mankind to look for ways that they could shift the focus away from Christ to themselves. The shift is very self-serving and materialistic and that need has not diminished over the centuries,” he intimated during a vocal exchange with this reporter.
The arrival of the Christmas season, Reverend Gilbert noted, is often overcome with the ‘it’s our time to celebrate, our time to have fun, our time to deck the halls’ syndrome which in effect turns the focus to man rather than Jesus Christ – the true reason for the season.
Many persons, according to him, see the season as a time to “‘do pretty much whatever we think Christmas affords us to do’.”
“Because we are self-serving, self-seeking and materialistic, Christmas then has become an opportunity for us to satisfy our own needs and desires for many things; for fun, excitement, for pleasure…so we look at Christmas as a time to have all of these human needs satisfied.”
However, this approach to Christmas is not all abysmal, as it is the view of the Reverend that there must be a time in life when “we must be able to have some bit of relaxation or an opportunity to come apart from the daily drudgery of life. Christmas offers that opportunity, so I don’t quite condemn all of it.”
He nevertheless asserted that it would be nothing short of dangerous if the celebration is premised on relaxation and celebration alone, while persons lose sight of the deeper meaning of Christmas.
Reverend Gilbert pointed to the spiritual side of the holidays which he believes should give rise to the spiritual component of mankind’s existence. He explained that mankind is not merely a physical being but rather embodies a spirit, thus mankind is expected to not only recognise but appreciate Christmas as not only a holiday but a Holy Day.
“It is not necessarily the day that we are focusing on but the fact that Christmas represents the giving of God’s best for the redemption of mankind, and so that is where the song comes in ‘Joy to the World the Lord has come, let Earth receive her King’…”
The anecdote of Christmas, the Reverend observed, serves as a ‘bittersweet’ reminder in that while it is a joyous occasion, it reflects the birth of the Christ Child and serves to amplify the ultimate purpose of his birth which was to die for the sins of the world. For this reason, he said that Christmas is not just about celebrating the birth of Christ but rather it is the recognition that God’s love is being demonstrated through his love for mankind which is enough to provide a solution to its sinful dilemma.
Moreover, Christmas is a reflection of the greatest gift of life and not merely that of gold, frankincense and myrrh as some may think.
“It is an expression of the gift of life; God gave his son as a gift to humanity to redeem man back to God.  So in all of that what we see Christmas representing is a story of the greatest love and the greatest gift ever given,” Reverend Gilbert asserted.
As such he emphasised that the celebration of Christmas should not only serve as a reminder that Jesus Christ was given to save mankind from its sins, but the occasion should point to a higher grade of love which is exemplified in mankind’s interaction with each other during the season. This love, according to him, is one that must transcend religion, age, class, social and economic status and be embraced by a nature of giving with a cheerful heart.
“If there is no other time of year when we should extend forgiveness and let love be without pretence or qualification it is at Christmas, because of what the story represents.”
Getting back to basics
Despite moves to commercialise Christmas over the years, there is yet hope to return the celebration to what it was originally intended. This move, Reverend Gilbert proffered, will require an earnest collaboration between family members, which sees them turning back to God. He is confident that if the values and importance of God are emphasised, allowing religious beliefs to become the central pillar of human existence and activities, then Christmas will be placed back into its ideal context.
“It has to begin with the return of families. So I believe that the restoration of the moral foundation and fabric of the society, which have destroyed or disintegrated over time, can be fixed if there is a return of families.”
According to Reverend Gilbert, the home is the area where values are shaped, and these are based on the traditional values of the Bible which is the Word of God. He is confident that if the principles of the church – which include honouring, loving and serving God – are re-evoked, then Christmas will be an occasion that is approached with a different attitude.
According to him, persons should seek to approach not only Christmas, but life, with a different attitude.
Reverend Gilbert said that achieving this objective would require that families are educated about the values of God.
“When God is restored as the central focus or authority in our lives God will no longer be just a convenience or spare wheel. When people begin to recognise the place of God in their lives I think Christmas would then take on a different meaning,” Reverend Gilbert opined.
According to him, persons should always seek to celebrate Christmas bearing in mind its actual meaning and significance. The word Christmas, he explained, was first used sometime around the 11th century and actually is Crîstesm¿sse which pretty much means the celebration. This celebration, he related, is really a move towards recognising that Christ was born. However, he noted that the essence of the Christmas story goes even further back, as detailed in the Gospel of John in the Holy Bible.
“It talks about the fact that God’s love for the world motivated, if not compelled him to provide a solution to the problem of mankind’s separation from God which is detailed in Genesis (another book of the Holy Bible).”
Jesus, the Christ Child, as a result came into the picture, Reverend Gilbert said, as a solution to the problem of man’s separation from God. Again alluding to another book of the Holy Bible, Reverend Gilbert said that Isaiah states that ‘unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given’ which is the true essence of the holidays.
Reaching out
With the importance of Christmas in focus, Reverend Gilbert along with his wife Rona and sons  Jered and Edrei would usually spread Christmas cheer, though, in some small way, to those in need. Their efforts usually translate to providing breakfast to needy persons, particularly those at market places within the city to kick the day off.
Plans for this Christmas will certainly be no different as they will extend the kind gesture to the St Thomas More Men’s Homestead in Kitty, Georgetown.
Church attendance, cooking and other festive activities with the Christ Child in mind will also characterise the celebration for the Gilbert’s household today.

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