What does Christmas mean to me this year?
Almost all of us have been affected directly or indirectly by the pandemic this past year. As a normal response when under attack, we ‘pull up the drawbridge’ and hoard our resources by hiding behind the walls of our self imposed prison. Deaf to the troubles of others, we seek to make things as comfortable as possible. Comfortable because, most of what we do in our daily lives is motivated by self interest and selfishness. I hasten to correct myself before your self-righteous protests spring to your lips. Well, perhaps that’s not entirely accurate. When I say ‘self’ I allude to family and close friends. Though even in that close-knit circle, a tally of the ‘favors’ meted out is maintained and repayment expected, or at the very least gratitude or acknowledgement.
The phrase ‘loved ones’ raises the question, whom does one love? This seemingly innocent question opens a ‘Pandora’s Box’ on the subject of love. Try as we might, we have been unable to accurately define love. Because we assume that love is an emotion or a feeling, we label ‘true’ love as unconditional. We often refer to a parent/child love (as most indignant parents will claim) as unconditional, but that very same ‘unconditional’ love is subject to the ‘condition’ of it being parent/child.
In reality, love is being in harmony with the frequency of the Universe. This translates as, loving all equally. This definition may seem to be at odds with the concept of relationships. How do relationships fit into Universal love? Relationships are commonly assumed to be a bond between two or more to the exclusion of others. Whereas, a true relationship is not a mere bond but a merging of two or more persons as one embracing and loving humanity equally.
The distressing fact is that we are unwilling to enter into a true relationship for that would mean breaking down our closely guarded identity and allowing another person to invade our space. We spend a lifetime building and guarding our identity, defining our personality and image because it serves to protect our fragile ego. If we were to truly know that we are children of the Universe, our ego would not allow us to feel challenged or threatened and consequently be in need of protection.
Christmas is a reminder that we are children of the Universe, that we no longer need to protect our “sense of self”. It beckons us to abandon our comfortable rut. Christmas invites us to break down the barriers of ‘self’ and to experience true love through harmony with the Universe. It is the festival of GIVING! Not just material gifts but giving of your time, attention, caring and love. It is the invitation to formulate your very own blueprint for the betterment of humanity. However, we being human, our good intentions may remain just that, good intentions without action. Do not be discouraged, remember every candle flame lends brightness to the sun, just as your small act of love and kindness lends to making the world a better place.
If every person performed one act of kindness, it would indeed be a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!