The Reason For The Season Is To Love One Another
By: Maher Boutros
Tags: Pandemic, Covid 19, Christian Living, Love One Another, Christian

Photo by Magdiel Lagos on Unsplash

The greatest commandment for these most difficult times…

Christmas time is here once again marching towards us with a breathless anticipation. Usually we busy ourselves with shopping, preparing for large gatherings, wrapping gifts and waiting eagerly for Santa to distribute them to all of us.

This year is different. Most of us are not sure what to do and how to navigate this holiday season. Things are different. Most of us are locked down with nowhere to go and not much to do. At this time, we usually do most of the shopping, traveling and visiting friends and family, but shopping centers are closed and visiting friends and family is off limits.

Maybe it is an opportune time for all of us to relook at the season with new perspective. To look at the real reason for the season from a different lens.

The Christmas season is an opportunity for Christians worldwide to celebrate the birth of Jesus. His life over 2000 years ago is still being celebrated to this day by over 2.5 billion people (32%) of the world population. There has been thousands upon thousands of books and articles written about him, his teachings and how he has impacted the world like no other. The Bible that narrates his life story and what he did when he was alive and his teachings is the most published and read book world wide with over 5 billion copies in circulation.

His teachings are radical. He taught us to love one another. To pray for one another. To feed one another. To show grace and mercy to one another. To honour one another. To live in harmony and peace with one another.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” — Jesus

These teachings are a contrast to what is usually natural behaviour in the world at large. Though these teachings are radical they changed the world. Often the first responders to world calamities are Christians and Christian organizations who want to serve and love others in times of trouble. Youth shelters, food banks and soup kitchens are manned by people who want to love and serve those who are in need. There has been countless stories of first line workers showing love and support to those who have suffered through wars and pandemics. Many of these have been influenced by Jesus’ teachings to love one another.

Jesus’ impact on this world for good has been nothing but astounding. I can’t imagine what the world would look like if we did not have his teachings about love and sacrifice to guide billions of people all over the world. His influence on this world is well captured in this often quoted passage written by Dr. James Allan Francis from Nova Scotia, Canada.

One Solitary Life He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village, where he worked in a carpenter shop, until he was thirty, Then for three years, he was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never went to college. He never visited a big city. He never travelled more than two hundred miles. From the place where he was born he did none of the things usually associated with greatness. He had no credentials but himself. He was only thirty three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing the only property he had on earth. When he was dead he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Nineteen centuries have come and gone and today he is the central figure of the human race and the leader of mankind’s progress. All the armies that have ever marched, all the navies that have ever sailed, all the parliaments that have ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned put together have not affected the life of mankind on earth as powerfully as that one solitary life. Dr James Allan Francis © 1926

And as a perfect demonstration of this sacrificial love to one another are the front line workers in hospitals and health care centers who are facing this pandemic head on day in and day out. We obviously owe a huge thank you to them in those most difficult times we are facing.

With all of us locked down and no where to go maybe it is time to spend some time to get to know this man Jesus. And above all let us remember the reason for the season and what this most powerful but humble man taught us to do: love one another.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year.