How to Live Up to the True Spirit of Christmas TC_Africa: Africa
. This has much more in common with the dominant symbols and aspirations of our age than it does with its religious roots.Christmas, as the name suggests, is linked to the birth of Jesus the Christ. As a professor of theology, I have often jokingly said,"Christ is not Jesus's surname". The word"Christ" comes from the Greek word Χρίστος , which is the Greek translation for the Hebrew word"messiah" .
Christians believe that Jesus is the promised messiah . He came preaching a message of love, peace and anti-materialism. Early in Christian history, Christians began to celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ in special services, what became known as theafter the Latin word missa. Hence, it was the combination of those two words that later became one word, Christmas, a feast that celebrates liberation, peace and joy through the messiah.
When presented in these terms, it would not be surprising to ask what the contemporary presentations of Christmas have to do with the celebration of Jesus the Christ. Santa Claus, snowmen and reindeer seem to have replaced Jesus and his disciples. Instead of focusing on messianic liberation and anti-materialism, Christmas is focused on parties, family gatherings, and gift-giving. In other words, like so much of western modernity, the focus has turned from the
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