Christmas is an Expression of Our Humanity
It is a time of intentional expressions of our humanity – when friends, family, and communities come together in peace and love.
Now that the Christmas holiday season has dawned no doubt most people will be preoccupying themselves with preparation for the festivities. There will be many decisions to make. How should I spend my Christmas this year? What presents should I give to my family and friends? Should I decorate my house this Christmas? How can I show kindness and love to others this Christmas?
There will be big decisions and there will be small decisions, but all of these are important and meaningful as they concern our human experience. Many of our decisions during this time of the year will be directed at bringing joy to ourselves and to others, and to the fostering of a sense of peace and community.
But What Does it Mean to be Human?
Despite being immensely important, it is quite tempting to fixate solely on these things without stopping to think about the most important questions. We may be entirely consumed with our expressions of humanity (through love, kindness, community, etc.) without first asking ourselves: What does it mean to be human? What defines me as a human being? What is it that lies at my fundamental level and gives me purpose for everything that I'm doing?
So how are these big questions even relevant? I assure you, these questions do not solely belong in a philosophy class. I'm quite sure that all of us have answers to these questions whether intentional, assumed, or ingrained in us by our social context. Whatever answers we have will affect the way we view life and the way we behave.
And so, what has any of this got to do with Christmas? Well, first allow me to point out that within the word Christmas itself lies something (or more correctly someone) that is often hidden behind all the merriment and festivities. He is Christ. Christmas is about His birth.
Most people are familiar with the story of the birth of Jesus Christ which we are often reminded of through shopping centre displays of the nativity scene. We picture a little baby lying in a manger accompanied by the virgin mother Mary and her husband Joseph. Most people can recall the Christmas narrative (to varying degrees of accuracy) but fewer recognise the immense and profound implications which it has on human life. For many people, the Christmas narrative is just an interesting piece of history confined to church services with no relevance to real life. However, whether you like it or not the Christmas narrative makes claims concerning the biggest questions of human life. So a good question to ask would be: Are these claims true or not?
In the words of C.S. Lewis, "– Christianity is a statement which, if false, is of no importance, and, if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important."
The Christmas Narrative and Ultimate Reality
So what kind of claims does the Christmas narrative make? First and foremost, it makes claims concerning God.
Everyone has in one form or another 'a doctrine of God'. To put it simply, an individual's doctrine of God is comprised of their beliefs concerning God and may contain answers to questions such as: Does God exist? Can God be known? What is God like?
Questions concerning God are perhaps the most important in existence. This is because they are questions which concern the nature of ultimate reality. Ultimate reality is a concept which refers to the largest, most powerful, and inclusive reality that could or does exist. It concerns itself with the basis or the root of all that exists.
Cosmic Implications
The Christmas narrative makes amazing claims about ultimate reality: God exists, He can be known, and He has already made Himself known through Jesus Christ. If these claims are true, then cosmic implications of a grand scale will logically follow.
The delightful story of baby Jesus that we often downplay in significance is in fact the story of the incarnation of God and as such shouldn't be taken lightly. To put things into perspective we're talking about the most powerful, perfectly good, and inconceivably great being coming down to earth as a man to interact with mankind on an intimate level.
Christ came for a purpose, which was to redeem mankind from the effects of sin. His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross in the place of mankind brought peace and reconciliation between God and man. Christ's sacrifice on the cross followed by His bodily resurrection marked the defeat of sin and death (the ultimate effect of sin), a status which is yet to be fully realised.
For the Christian, the incarnation of Christ is perhaps the climax of the history of the universe which points forward to the fulfilment of the goal of all humanity and of all the universe – a goal which sees fruition in the realities of judgment and eternal life.
Personal Implications
Our 'doctrine of God' lies at our fundamental level and so will shape everything else that we believe to be true and the way we act. For example, our beliefs concerning God dictate our perceptions of truth, morality, and purpose. Our perceptions of truth, morality, and purpose shape our values and priorities, which then ultimately influences our behaviour.
The name for this entire system is called a person's worldview. The philosopher, Ronald H. Nash defines the term 'worldview' to mean, "– the total of answers people give to the most important questions in life. The five most important questions any worldview must answer are God, ultimate reality, knowledge, ethics, and human nature. Every human being has a worldview, even though many people are uninformed about the nature and content of worldviews and the power that worldviews have over the way we think and behave."
The Christmas narrative tells us who we are as human beings. Right and wrong exist objectively and humanity has failed and continues to fail to uphold what is right.Thus, we are creatures who require saving, and so a Saviour was born to us – Jesus Christ.
Through Christ we are loved, we are forgiven, we are accepted, we are freed, we are made righteous, declared innocent, and adopted into an eternal home. This is how we perceive ourselves as Christians and forms an element of our worldview. (Perhaps more accurately, it's the way God perceives us which is independent of our own feelings and perceptions). Inevitably, our perceptions of who we are (our identities) affect our attitudes and our everyday decisions and actions.
Ask the Important Questions
As Christmas approaches accompanied by lights, present shopping, and carols galore, be sure that you remember the most important element of all – the Christ.
The story of the birth of Jesus is not just a story. It makes claims concerning ultimate reality. In doing so, implications emerge that range from the cosmic level to the personal level of everyday life. So what are you to make of all of this?
Perhaps a good Christmas present to receive would be the ability to ask the right questions – the most important questions.Is Christmas a celebration of a truth that holds infinite importance, or is the birth of Jesus of no importance at all?
Anton Zhang is studying aeronautics and arts at the University of Sydney, he is part of a family of four, his hobbies include music, hiking and fencing. He is an active part of the Christian youth work at the Padstow Chinese Congregational Church.
Anton Zhang's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/anton-zhang.html