It’s that time again, Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ. This is a most holy time for Christians. A time, a season, for joy, peace, happiness and to be with family and friends to celebrate the birth of our savior.
But there are some people who find this offensive, since they don’t believe. Offensive or not, it is still extremely meaningful to Christians, people who are exercising their freedom of religion — just as other believers celebrate their holy days and seasons.
The birth of Christ is the basis for the Christian belief, followed closely by Easter. Without Christmas, Easter would never have happened. Without Easter, Christmas would be just another day. Both are vital to the followers of Jesus.
Yet there are some people who don’t take either event seriously. Fewer and fewer people celebrate the true meaning of these significant events.
Looking at our society today, with all the problems we are facing, what if more people followed the teachings of Jesus. Would it be more peaceful? Would there be less violence and less crime? Would there be more love? Would there be more honesty and less discord?
What the world needs is more sincere beliefs in peace. This is found in the various religious faiths worldwide.
The secular world has overshadowed the religious world. And the population of our planet has suffered. Dominance and control seems to be the way of life, while religious belief and practice have taken a backseat.
Christianity, Islam, Judaism and all the other faiths need to assert themselves to end the violence and crime worldwide.
With the Christmas season upon us, we believers have the opportunity to spread the true meaning of the birth of our savior. Talk about what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Learn and remember his parables and teachings. Follow his example for living.
Other faiths have their special – holy – seasons. This one, Christmas is one of Christianity’s holy seasons. We will celebrate it as we have for centuries, with dinners, parties, caroling and exchanging gifts, reminding us of God’s gift to us: his son, our savior.
Remember, Jesus is the reason for the season.
Herb Dettmer is a retired Bowling Green resident, U.S. Army veteran and writes this column representing the viewpoint of “Joe Average” citizen. He is freelance writer and author of “Others,” a devotional book. Call or text “Joe” with comments at 419-494-4641.
