Op-Ed: Everything Wrong With Christmas Today

The Christmas season—Yuletide or Xmas—has seen its meaning turned on its head, now firmly associated with rampant materialism. This transformation has been exacerbated by decades of media propaganda and aggressive marketing. Today, many less affluent families feel burdened with the responsibility of taking out high-interest loans to pacify the demands of their children for luxurious branded gifts and gadgets, often at the cost of their health and livelihoods.

Imam Ali, the Prince of Believers, observed: "How strange and foolish a man is. He loses his health in gaining wealth. Then, to regain his health, he wastes his wealth. He ruins his present while worrying about his future, but weeps in the future by recalling his past. He lives as though death shall never come to him but dies in a way as if he were never born."

In today’s world, a parent's value is often measured by the number of gifts they provide rather than the quality time they spend fostering a child's character and sense of responsibility. The book of Mark mentions that in apocalyptic times, children would become rude and disrespectful to their parents:

"You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful." (2 Timothy 3:1-3)

Today, children are bombarded with social media profiling and subliminal TV advertisements. They often feel ostracized without specific gifts, while TV shows and games condition them to desensitization and over-sexualization. The festive period has become synonymous with markets, overindulgence, and consumerism. Many families, torn apart by work commitments, substitute expensive gifts for meaningful quality time.

But do we pause to consider the original spirit of Christmas? What was the core message of Jesus, whose birth we claim to celebrate? Are we honoring his teachings by indulging in excess while others struggle to survive? Homelessness, poverty, and suffering abound, yet the focus remains on lavish celebrations. The UK is planning to spend £28.6 billion on Christmas gifts in 2024.

The true Jesus was not opposed to joyous gatherings but emphasized community responsibility. If abundance exists alongside dire need, it signals a systemic failure. Consider this: in a community of 50 households, if three amass nearly all the wealth while others lack essentials, would justice not demand redistribution? Yet in modern society, exploitation by a wealthy elite persists. Shockingly, the UK is planning to spend £28.6 billion on Christmas gifts in 2024, whilst many households spend on average about £713 in December, which is 29% more than in a typical month. This huge outlay leaves many people in a debt crisis for the rest of the year, and this is at a time when 1 in 5 UK children (2.6m) are living in material deprivation. They are going without their basic needs being fulfilled such as warmth, fresh food, or a celebration this Christmas – with more than half (1.5 million) extremely vulnerable children under 10 years of age.

Imam Ali stated: "Truth is bitter, but its outcome is sweet; falsehood appears sweet, but it is poisonous." - Imam Ali FHIP Wise sayings 94, Naghal Balagha.

Can believers in God and Jesus Christ find peace when others struggle to survive on a daily basis? Celebrating a holy figure's birth should inspire us to emulate their character. Yet, as wealth inequality widens, stark disparities persist. In the UK, where the Gopi family's wealth exceeds £37 billion, over 350,000 people face homelessness during Christmas. Vulnerable individuals, including sex workers and victims of trafficking, endure unimaginable hardships.

Aba Al-Sadiq highlights this disparity in The Goal of the Wise:

"Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos could feed a third of the world for 75 days at $2 a day. Yet, they choose to keep that money in their bank accounts. The top ten billionaires, with a combined wealth of $1,500 billion, could feed one-third of the planet for 375 days, saving millions of lives."

Meanwhile, the elderly face increasing isolation, for instance in the UK there are expected to be over 1.3 million older adults expected to be alone this Christmas. However does not the Bible remind us to honor our parents?

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12)

Despite advancements, diseases like typhoid and tuberculosis resurface, symptoms of leaders prioritizing self-interest over public well-being. In the U.S., half the population cannot afford basic healthcare, while military budgets dominate government spending. Is this not evidence of an anti-Christ spirit opposing the teachings of Jesus?

Jesus came to eradicate prejudice and tyranny. He urged self-reflection, justice, and love for one’s neighbor. In his words:

"Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12)

The man of God, or Jesus in his time, is charged with orchestrating a movement that encompasses both state and religion. This role is not secular. Fundamentally, if the Pharisees and Roman elite of any age refuse to listen and adapt, this resistance necessitates a breakdown of the old order and the emergence of change through the man of God.

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.” (Matthew 10:34–36).

This passage does not mean that Jesus wanted believers to fight against their families for the sake of conflict. Rather, as Aristotle said, friends are important, but truth is foremost. Abu Dharr recognized that truth could be bitter and leave one friendless. Jesus was not discriminatory in his message; he invited everyone to the way of truth. Yet the Pharisees and scribes, puffed up with pride, preached their own interpretations of the laws and scriptures. The rich merchants prioritized profiteering over spiritual well-being. When Jesus saw the house of God turned into a den of thieves, he overturned their tables and showed no remorse.

The True Christmas Message

Ultimately, Jesus extended his invitation through his disciples, who went two by two to the streets, inviting wayfarers, prostitutes, thieves, and even tax collectors—despised among the Jews. Many of these people, burdened by their sins, found hope and healing through Jesus. They recognized him as a great prophet sent by the one true God.

Jesus reminded his disciples that welcoming strangers is akin to welcoming God. His mission was not about outward displays of piety, such as long beards or rote prayers, but about being humane to one another. Through the downtrodden and mistreated, whose hearts were firm for justice, Jesus sought to establish the kingdom of Heaven on Earth. His doors were open to all, without prejudice.

In John 14:2–3, Jesus said:

"My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?"

Thus, Jesus was firm and unyielding with disbelievers, exposing their deceit with divine knowledge. The scribes and rich politicians, barriers to his mission, refused to acknowledge his rightful place as the awaited Messiah. Jesus read from Isaiah in the synagogues to proclaim his role as the one they had been praying for. Yet the so-called scholars mocked him, leading to confusion among the people about his identity as the spirit of God.

Jesus empowered his followers to become the foundation of God's kingdom on Earth. He promised that the meek, those enduring hardship for truth, would inherit the Earth.

The true Christmas message of Jesus is selflessness—a stark contrast to modern individualism. Today, many prioritize themselves, their families, or their nations above all else, echoing a philosophy of division and self-interest. Jesus came to break down tribalism and shatter the boundaries between disparate kingdoms.

Reflecting on the Nativity story, we see the newborn light of God coinciding with the rise of a new star. Christ’s Mass aligns with the winter solstice, symbolizing rebirth and hope. Ancient celebrations like Saturnalia and Yule also marked this celestial shift, recognizing the cycle of death and renewal. In the same way, Jesus’s mission calls us to die to ourselves and be reborn in truth.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 states:

"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."

As Jesus declared in John 3:3:

"Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."

This Christmas, the call is clear: to rise with the divine light and spread its radiance. The Magi understood this call, guided by the star to bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, symbolizing good thoughts, deeds, and words.

Today, Aba Al-Sadiq appears as the Riser of Truth, fulfilling ancient prophecies. His mission echoes Jesus’s call to establish a kingdom of justice and humanity on Earth. This universal message invites people of all backgrounds to unite under the banner of truth, transcending religious and national boundaries.

As the final hour approaches, the apocalyptic signs foretold in scriptures manifest around us. The message of Christmas remains a timeless call: to become lights on the tree of life, connected in a fellowship of believers, spreading hope and truth in a dark world. Let us rise to this call and work for the kingdom of heaven, on Earth as it is in heaven, fulfilling the promise of the Messiah and the Riser of Truth.