By P G Vargis
CHRISTMAS is celebrated in India largely in Western style. Christianity is still thought to be the religion of the whiteman. So our non-Christian friends hesitate to participate in Christmas celebrations.
Christ was not born in the East or the West, but in the Middle East. Announcing the birth of Christ, the angel told the shepherds that it was good tidings of great joy to ‘all’ people, not just to any particular community (Luke 2:10).
Thomas, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus, came to India in the very first century with the message of Jesus Christ. Christianity is 2,000 old in this country. Hence, it is a crime if we the Indian Christians still wrap the message of Christ in the Western jacket. Here are some tips to celebrate Christmas the Indian way:
Christmas may be called as ‘Kiristhu Jayanthi.’ Invite non-Christian neighbors to your Christmas dinner!
During carol rounds, plan to visit non-Christian homes in the neighborhood, not in the middle of the night but in the pleasant evening! Set the carols to Indian music. Let the words in the carols be simple, direct and clear. Present each non-Christian family with a Christmas-message greetings card or a New Testament.
Send Christmas cards — designed with Indian cultural settings in mind and greetings presented in vernacular language — to as many non-Christian friends as possible. The picture of a stocking on a Christmas card is obnoxious to the Indian mind.
It is good to bring about a change in Christmas decorations, too. It will be typically Indian if mango leaves are used instead of casuarinas or pine leaves. An Indian kuthuvilakku (lampstand) is preferred to a candle. Christ’s Gospel is trans-cultural, not anti-cultural!
Plan a special Christmas service for the non-Christians in churches, homes and offices. Take special care that these services are appealing to the Indian mind and acceptable to the hesitant hearts. Gifts may also be presented to them. Don’t leave non-Christian children out of Christmas tree functions and competitions. Use Christmastime advantageously to share with non-Christian families the love of God revealed through Christ.
Apostle Paul liberated the Gospel from the Jewish clothing and Martin Luther from the Latin clothing. Now it is our responsibility to liberate it from the Western clothing!
Merry Christmas to you.
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