“It’s the Most Wonderful time of the Year” is one of those Classic Christmas Carols that is timeless and a favorite among many. The song says, “It's the happiest season of all.” Then why is it that Christmas catches me in a melancholy mood? Working in inner-city communities in Central Kingston, Jamaica made me see a new face of Christmas and I started feeling torn between the differences between Uptown and Downtown, those who have and those who don’t. It makes me ponder the Jamaican Christmas song, “Santa Claus, when will you come to the Ghetto.” Here are some of the lyrics for you also to consider the plight of the people who live in the ghetto.
Santa Claus, do you ever come to the ghetto Santa Claus, do you ever wonder why we suffer so Santa Claus, will you come to the ghetto Santa Claus, we would like to see where your reindeers go. All year long we've been beating down crime How we hold on through those hard times We aint gonna fight, we aint gonna fuss But where are the presents that you brought for us… Wondering what's happening to poor people like we. Is it because we no have no chimney?
My experiences working in the ghetto and this song bring to light the dark cloud that looms over the lives of many in inner-city communities. There is a great divide between Uptown and Downtown and Christmas just highlights it even more for me. I remember one Christmas years ago after a Christmas event in one of the communities, I saw how a man was proud of one string of lights stuck in shrubbery to make it look like Christmas. Not long after, I made my way through Uptown and saw thousands of lights in the plazas and my stomach sank. At that moment I saw the striking difference between the social classes and Christmas has never been the same for me. In order to cope with Christmas, I try to focus on the Light of the world instead of the numerous lights seen in so many places.
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:12
I do not want to bring despair by writing this article, but I do want to demonstrate that Christmas is not a season of good cheer and a wonderful time of year for many as they are in darkness. And darkness comes in many ways. For some it is the loneliest time of year, for others it just illuminates how much they do not have, and there are those who may be full of Christmas dinner, but their souls are empty. Thankfully, over two thousand years ago Jesus came to light up any type of darkness we may be in.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord anointed me to bring good news to the humble; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to captives and freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the cloak of praise instead of a disheartened spirit. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. Isaiah 61:1-3
I am thankful for a God who brings light into darkness and brings life into our dead situations. It seems though that during Christmas many forget this and instead of focusing on the Light, they are busy decorating with little lights that only bring temporary happiness. Too many are so busy with the temporary that they forgo the eternal. They are occupied wrapping and giving gifts but have little time to unwarp the greatest Gift of all.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16
Unfortunately, at this time, many are so busy perishing because they do not have time to experience the love of God through the Son who He freely gave so that we could spend eternity with Him. And too many have chosen darkness over the Light.
And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. John 3:19-20
This season I pray that we choose the Light rather than darkness and that we become new creatures in Christ, putting away the old deeds of darkness. I pray that Jesus, the Light of the World, exposes the darkness in our hearts and we will repent of our sins and run to Him, so that we will then know that every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
(See James 1:17)
This Christmas let us choose the good and perfect gift of Christ, who lights up our dark world, and then it will truly be the most wonderful time of the year.
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